Ballad of Cerberus
by 3DoorsDownAndAwayFromTheSun
Summary: Tyler is thrust from our reality into the one of Arm slaves and Mithril. While tryin to cope with that, he is now tossed into a conflict with a new enemy. How will the once psychology major deal with his new trials? [Mature language but nothing a teenager can't handle in terms of other content]
1. Chapter 1: The Ballad Begins

Tyler was wondering how he ended up in front of a group of armed teenagers, in full combat body armor, pointing guns at him that only the military and gun enthusiasts had their hands on. He then remembered seeing a strange baby blue light at the end of a hallway in his dorm and his dumbass decided to walk through it without thinking it through and landed in a small corridor full of guards, armed to the teeth, protected by top of the line body armor and unwelcoming scowls on all their faces. After convincing the guards around him he wasn't a terrorist or a spy, they dragged him into an interrogation room and cuffed him to the chair, trying to be rough as possible and forcing him around as a reminder he wasn't a casual guest. He dared not to think how it could get worse.

Tyler looked over at the highly polished mirror across the blank, dull and cramped room. He knew it was two-way but he wanted to see how much damage he received through his little trip. His black hair was a mess from being roughed up by the guards and he had a red mark under one of his green eyes. His white button up shirt was a little wrinkled, as it covered his lanky body, but he was glad he black shoes and dress pants were clean as they were new. He yanked against the cuffs to see if they were breakable but the metal hung tight and he knew he would just hope these people wouldn't kill him.

He started to observe his surroundings as his head began to clear. The room he was in was a dull steel grey on all walls and pipes and tubes zigzagged above him. A giant mirror was on the wall across from him. There was no clock to give sign of how much time had passed during his little venture. The sounds of engines in the distance led Tyler to believe he was on a vehicle of sorts. The quiet patter of feet outside also led him to conclude it was heavily manned and they weren't the best with uninvited guests. The whole area was just dull and was made for the soul purpose of interrogating and to him it couldn't be more boring.

Tyler's face became covered in a blank stare after a few uncountable moments. Even though his eyes were open, they didn't focus on a singular object in the room. They peered off in the distance dreaming about people and places that now seemed worlds away from this cramped room with artificial lighting and no windows. His entire body was telling the world he couldn't be less indifferent at the moment even though he was restrained to a metal chair with no was of escaping. He literally could not care less.

As the time passed, his patience eroded granule by granule as the river of passing time moved passed the banks of his consciousness. Every imaginary tick of the clock brought him closer to the edge of just screaming at the mirror and plunging him into an insane fit that ended up with him repeatedly smashing his skull against the steel bolted down table.

The sliding door opened and let a single man in a dingy brown jump suit came through. He had brown shaggy hair, with fierce eyes; saving Tyler from the mental cliff he was about to throw himself over. Tyler could tell those eyes had seen too much for that kid's age. War, endless violence and sacrifice were writing into the core of his pupils and his very soul screamed conflict. He turned and faced him and he saw a single scar and symbol of strife in this man's life on his cheek. Even under the baggy jumpsuit, it was obvious this man was in perfect shape and his body was a honed and highly sharpened weapon. The teenager was also stiffer than a board and screamed of too many military movies. He took his seat. Even that action was too precise and rehearsed to the point every move didn't waste energy and efficiently accomplished the mission of sitting down.

Tyler's interrogator laid down some papers and asked in a robotic voice "Who are you?" There was no emotion and no sign of humanity. The interrogator acted as if he was talking to a machine and not a human being that had stumbled his way out of a party into a blue portal. Tyler sighed and begun to answer; seeing it would probably be his only way of getting things to be better.

"Tyler Roberts. May I ask why I am here?" Tyler replied annoyed. He remembered the guards taking his wallet and it shouldn't have been that hard to look up his school records.

"I am asking the questions. Who sent you?" Tyler rolled his eyes at the follow up question. He felt the interrogator was doing his best to be as clichéd as possible and try to intimidate him with that emotionless killing machine act. Tyler doubted his attire gave a terroristic impression but maybe he was just having a really messed up dream or Al Qaida had switched to business casual from their turbans and robes and this was the biggest misunderstanding of the twentieth century.

"MI6." Tyler responded sarcastically. If he was going to be questioned like a criminal, he was at least going to enjoy taking verbal jabs at the moron across the steel table from him. "I don't know." Tyler began earnestly. "I walked into some kind of light and it sent me here." Tyler doubted he would believe that but maybe the story was too stupid not to believe. If someone told him that rubbish, he would either have to be too drunk to stand to believe it or he would be laughing at the stupidity of it.

"Likely story." Tyler could hear from that statement this man didn't buy it at all. The man stood up and began rummaging through his pocket. He now walked over with a black Taser in his hand. Tyler began struggling in his chair, trying to get away from the device as it crackled; sending sparks between the nodes and the viciously liked and snapped at the air for their next victim. "Tell me who sent you or I will use this to get you too talk." Tyler began to throw all his might into getting out of his bindings as it drew closer.

"No one sent me! I walked into some kind of portal and ended up in your hallway. Look up my records G.I. Joe." Tyler yelled. He could feel his whole body shack in panic and a cold sweat begun to break out across his brow. He was too scared to even come up with a better and more believable excuse. He couldn't get his mind as the cringe inducing crackling of the Taser buzzed and snapped in his ear and echoed throughout the room.

"That is the issue. You don't exist." The man replied still robotic. Tyler's entire face opened in shock at those words. His mind repeated them over and over, trying to grasp the meaning. Yet no matter how much he tried, he couldn't connect himself to non-existence.

"That is impossible. Call someone on my phone or look through my wallet." Tyler hoped a phone call to a family member or friend would exonerate him. He knew all it would take was a single conversation with his father or colleague and this whole misunderstanding would be over and the Taser would be put away and used on actual terrorists. He could then go home and forget he had walked into that steel incased hell hole.

"We did. We either got wrong numbers or they didn't exist." Tyler was now convinced he was dreaming. Tyler's head fell in disbelief. He couldn't figure out what was happening to him. Had that portal erased his existence as he passed through it? Was he just in the most impressive prank known to mankind and someone would jump out confirming it or did Satan himself throw Tyler into an obscure realm of torment?

"I swear I work for no one. I will do whatever it takes to convince you." Tyler pleaded. It was all he could think to say. His existence had been denied and his story rejected. His desperation began to set in like a thick cloud and he could feel himself plead to God to get him out of this. Before God could answer his pleas, Tyler started to hear to sinister cracking as the Taser drew closer to his neck. Tyler struggled in vain as the threat of electrocution had finally begun to push him over the edge and he desperately screamed. "I don't work with anyone you son of a bitch!" Tyler snapped but the Taser came closer. Tyler closed his eyes, hoping this would wake him up. All of a sudden a loud smack echoed through the room. Tyler feared the worst and waited for the pain. It never came. Tyler opened his eyes after he was sure he wasn't dead and saw his torturer had also stopped as a harisen was planted firmly atop his skull. It was wielded by a beautiful, buxom, blue haired, Asian school girl, still in her uniform. The woman's eyes were ablaze with anger and her teeth were in a tight snarl. Tyler thought he walked into his own Wonderland as the freak show continued.

"Sousuke, he said he didn't know anything and Tessa said that the TARTOROS could cause rifts. Now put that down. Tessa and My orders." The woman barked earsplittingly loud. Tyler wished he had been knocked out by the Taser to spare his eardrums. The soldier, Sousuke, instantly dropped the Taser and is it smacked against the metal floor; Tyler sighed deeper than any point in his short life.

After rubbing his wound for a few short moments, the interrogator picked up the Taser and stuffed it into his pocket once more. He then leaned into Tyler's ear. Tyler felt the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up and every instinct to punch him into oblivion boiled over into a steaming cloud of primal furry.

"I will find out who you work for." Sousuke whispered in his ears.

"Try it without the cuffs asshole." Tyler retorted back.

"Hey! You two behave or else!" The mystery girl growled. Even Tyler could start to feel the demonic aura coming from this girl. He now understood how she was able to control military boy. It was as if she could punish the wind for blowing in the wrong direction and it would listen. "I will get some tea and you two apologize." She puffed and walked out of the room. Tyler sighed as the second most dangerous weapon in the room left.

"Sousuke Sagara." He responded back.

"Where am I?" Tyler figured he was owed some answers after being detained and threated with a Taser. When he added in the terrorism accusation and apparent lack of existence, he wanted a five-star hotel and an apology note.

"You are on a top secret Mithril ship, called the Tuatha De Danaan." The soldier answered reluctantly. His answers seemed to come from fear rather than remorse. Tyler couldn't blame him, seeing how scary Japanese school girls could get. If he had something like that following him around he wo

"And I assume Mithril is some kind of anti-terrorism group?" Tyler figured since they were asking who he was working for, they had to be government. Terrorists would have no reason to ask such questions. Governments did if the person they were asking posed a threat but a freshman psychology major only threatened a text book with drool from over studying and the national GPA.

"Yes."

"What government?"

"None." Tyler was shocked. A group that could afford their own submarine surely had a government behind them or powerful backers. He figured they were a well outfitted mercenary company but mercenaries wouldn't care about terrorists unless paid a lot and they would surely have handed Tyler over to a government that hired them and they would be asking the questions. Whoever these people were, Tyler never heard of them but they had significant power to have a submarine and the ability to imprison him without due process.

"So you just go around stopping evil? Why haven't I heard of you?" Tyler asked. This was almost becoming a bad action movie to him. He hoped this is the part where the hero would bust him out with epic music, sweep him off his feet and ride into the sunset.

"Because you aren't part of this time." Tyler heard a young female voice ring out of his field of view. He wouldn't live with himself if that voice saved him. Sousuke shot up and saluted. Tyler could gather they had a command structure with that kind of ceremony. Whoever walked was an officer or at least high ranking than the Taser happy Private Ryan. A Caucasian teenager with unnatural white hair walked in, who was the exact same age as the other girl. She was incredible cute, even in the officer's uniform. Everything about her screamed innocent and caring. Tyler was in disbelief. Those that arrested him had teenagers among them and now apparently this adorable school girl was an officer with all her pins and medals and ruled over some of the adults. His mental grasp of society and the world began to slowly slip away. He was started to eye-ball the table and wondered how many times it would take for him to just smash his head against to pass out before things got weirder. She reached out her hand in a friendly gesture before he could. Tyler stood up and shook it accordingly before he got the chance to make a fool of himself. He took some solstice that wherever he was, some people understood decent manners. "I am Captain Teletha Testarossa or Tessa for short." He caught himself thinking she was kind of cute and would like to take her out for coffee.

"Glad to meet you, Tessa." Tyler smiled warmly. He knew she was the one that ordered his restraints undone by her name but since he wasn't allowed to leave, he figured they still had questions.

"That is Captain Testarossa to you!" The soldier barked at Tyler. Tyler felt his patience thinning and prayed that guy was the one that died in the epic battle tragically.

"Bite me!" Tyler snapped back. The sergeant scowled at him but a dirty glare from the Captain stopped any reprisal. "What do you mean by not part of this time?" Tyler asked after the interruption was quelled.

"To keep things short, we had an invention that could pull information from your dimension in the future and we could, through certain people, gain access to that technology early." Tyler sort of understood what she said but not completely. "A terrorist group created a device that would allow for total changes in reality of this world. Mithril destroyed but as we feared it created a temporary rift and you walked through it and somehow ended up on my sub." Tyler felt the air leave him. If what she was saying was true, everything he knew was gone and he was stuck in the unfamiliar world with nothing but his clothes and some money he was sure no longer held any value. He was essentially alone. His family and life meant nothing now. He was the symbol and exemplar of solitary and he was in a world he didn't understand. Now a river of disbelief began to erode his mental health and pushing the banks of his mind closer towards insanity and mental break down.

"I guess you now tell me you can't send me back." Tyler said as his head slumped down. His mind screamed and pleaded he was being jested. He would rather face that than come to terms he would never see his life again. The shores of sanity began to erode faster.

"I'm sorry." She said. Tyler was surprised someone like her could be military and glad she started to talk again as his sanity depended on a distraction. She was so nice and warm and that was the only thing keeping him from going into a psychological rampage. If he hadn't just met her, he would be venting to her about the frustration building inside him. "Sousuke, let's give Mr. Roberts time to think." Sousuke saluted and followed her out of the room. He wished she hadn't said that. It was now him, the room and the quiet atmosphere as him mind would be forced to ponder his new circumstances.

He was alone. Tyler gained a new understanding of that world. His family, his life and everything he knew was gone. Unless this was a sick joke, he was the only one looking out for him. There was no proof he was even born. His past was now only precious memories with no photographs as proof they existed. All he had left was himself.

In the command center, Tessa pondered her guest as she twirled the end of her pony tail in front of her mouth. Her heart went out to him. Even as he was being told he may never get to go home, he never took it out on those in the room except Sousuke, even though it was indirectly their fault for not stopping Leonard in time. Her expression slowly became pained and her second-command took note. Most people would be either highly skeptically or go insane within the hour of having to grasp the concept of not existing but their new guest was excellent at hiding his disturbed state. She also admitted to herself he was kind of handsome.

"Are you worried about him ma'am?" Commander Mardukas asked as her expression became pained. The Captain had only looked this distressed

"I can't help it. He has nothing and it worries me the way he is able to bottle it up. It is almost as if he doesn't want anyone to see him being weak." She replied sympathetically. She tried to fathom the idea of having literally nothing but the clothes you wore and your entire family and friends gone.

"Like Sousuke?" He asked.

"No." Tessa knew those two were different the moment she saw Tyler. "Sousuke is bad at expressing his emotions. Mr. Roberts seemed to be suppressing his. I am worried he doesn't trust us." She wished he would. In this situation, there was a great chance it would be the only thing stopping him from going over the edge into the mental abyss. She was a little perplexed by her concern for the man.

"In his situation, would you?" Mardukas, even without military training, would be very weary if he was in Tyler's predicament. Tessa shook her head as the sub continued its course. He was right. She knew Tyler was probably trying to deduce that second if he was in a conspiracy against his mind. This made her worry even more with every second she knew Tyler was alone without someone to talk too.

Back in the interrogation room, Tyler leaned against the wall, and it felt good to stretch his legs. The door opened once and Tyler tensed up. He refused to be restrained like that again. They would have to kill him. He almost wanted them too. He had no life here and maybe it would wake him up from this nightmare. If what they said was true, it meant he was nothing. His existence in the world never happened and he was the true definition of isolated. It was just the school girl from before. Tyler relaxed as she placed a tea tray on the table. She sat down, looked up at him with a smile and gestured for him to join her. She was warmer than the military nut job and a bit more humane. Tyler saw her tolerance for disobedience, despite her current benevolence, before and decided it was best for his health to not refuse. He hesitantly took a seat and reached for a cup and looked at the warm liquid. It was regular tea and he didn't smell any foreign orders but sipped it slowly just in case. He was surprised it was pretty good. He checked his pulse and forehead to see if any unknown poisons were taking affect. He was clear for now.

"Sorry about Sousuke earlier. He is really protective and you appeared outside the room I was in. I'm Kaname by the way." She had that statement down to an art. Tyler felt this wasn't the first time Sousuke hadn't embarrassed the poor girl. He wondered what sort of shenanigans Sousuke got into in his free time. It seemed he ate, breathed, and urinated military life.

"Nice to meet you. It is okay. The guy was just doing his job." Tyler replied warmly. He didn't really mean the last part. He thought Sousuke could do with having the rod up his butt removed and some humanity put in its place. He could tell this girl wasn't military however. She didn't have that aura of duty and honor. He did however hear how she said Sousuke's name. Only someone seriously infatuated would say a name like that. "So are you two dating?"

"How did you figure that out?" The girl placed her cup back on the table as her jaw dropped. He now knew they were.

"The way you just reacted now and the way you said his name. It had a lot of affection." Tyler also didn't tell her he was a freshman studying psychology and his papers were over Paul Ekman, who worked on micro expressions and he could almost read the love in her face. He started to remember he was alone again but pushed it aside and tried to be in the present for now.

"Yeah, he is an idiot but he tries." She smiled but she called him that tenderly and not with any attempt to be rude or insulting. "I know this maybe much but what is your world like?" Tyler never thought about it but now it seemed so far away from where he was right now. The world he left wasn't perfect but it was his but it made him wonder what the differences were in this one. All he knew, this world, females could reproduce without men or have giant robots fighting each other.

"That is a really broad question." Tyler laughed nervously. "Could you narrow it down a bit?" He hoped she would avoid asking about family. That would be the straw on his back that would break him.

"Okay, ummmm, Where are you from?" Tyler didn't know if he could handle talking about the world he may never see again at all when it got down to it but he didn't need to let these people see him breakdown. Even with her nice demeanor, none of these people could be trusted. He had to remember he was on his own.

"I came from America. I am a freshman in college." Tyler decided that was safe to admit to a stranger. It wasn't like they could attack his family on that. Plus, if what they were saying was true, it wouldn't matter what he told them.

"Wow! The America in this world is a leader in Arm Slave technology, or at least that is what Sousuke says. That is how they got out of debt." She replied. The word arm slave caught his attention but it was followed by America not being in debt. He had never heard such a thing in his life without someone laughing or getting upset.

"Yeah, my America isn't like that at all." She cocked her head at his comment. "In my dimension, world, whatever American is in nearly 16 trillion dollars in debt and we are stuck in a dead end war with the Afghanistan." Kaname gasped. He figured the contrast was stark. Their worlds must have been drastically different for her to react like that. He started to give merit to him being in an alternate reality.

"Besides that, it must be fairly peaceful. Our cold war is still going on." Tyler realized this world was nothing like the one he lived in. His was caught in strife and division among and even the nations themselves couldn't come to an agreement sometimes.

"Ours ended but that made everything worse." Tyler's tone became grim as he went over the downfalls of his reality. "The Soviet Union fell but its uranium supplies were stolen and now there are black market nukes terrorists can get a hold of." Kaname gasped. "My reality is worrying about Iran's nuclear program and we aren't far from nuclear war if they do and Africa is pretty close to being Hell on earth." Tyler laughed at how pitiful he world had to sound. "We aren't that peaceful." He didn't even go over the countless genocides and people starving to death. He almost thought maybe this world was a bit better.

"Well, I guess both of our realities have their issues." She smiled at him. Tyler didn't know why but this felt like talking to an older sister. He smiled back. The shores of his sanity started to return a bit slowly. It wasn't enough for him to be trusting but it was better than the infinite paranoia he was going towards.

"Yeah, you could say that. So what is this arm slave thing you mentioned?"

"Giant robots." Tyler's jaw dropped. He must have fallen into a bad anime. All he needed was a terrible plot line about an egomaniacal psychopath and it would be perfect. The door opened and Sousuke walked back into the room. Tyler looked up at him with scowl to guarantee G.I. Dickhead didn't think he was warming up to Sousuke. Kaname looked up at him fondly and said "That is a pilot of one right there." The two quickly kissed and she left the room. Tyler wanted to vomit at the sight or punch Sousuke out of general principal.

"So what now?" Tyler asked Sousuke. Tyler refrained from including how lucky he was a beautiful girl like Kaname was even looking at him.

"We can't do anything until we hit port. You will stay on the ship until then as a guest." His tone was so formal but when he kissed that girl, Tyler swore he saw a smile and a bit of humanity. He wondered if this is what that girl saw in him or Sousuke just had a good paycheck.

"I guess that is fair. Will I need to sign a disclosure agreement?" Tyler didn't know how world saving mercenaries did their paper work but he doubted they would just let him walk away without any form of protection of their secrets. He just wanted lay down and try to avoid having a mental breakdown in front of people he wouldn't trust with a wooden nickel.

"The captain wishes to discuss that with you. She will be in here after a while. Have a nice day." Tyler sighed at that half-decent attempt to be cordial. He just wanted to get out of the boring interrogation room at any cost and suicide wasn't looking too extreme of an option.

"Well, thank you for the update and if you need something from me just ask. I have a slight allergy to being stun gunned." Tyler retorted. Sousuke scowled but something stopped him from acting on any violent urges and Tyler had his bets on fear.

Sousuke's response was emotionless. He was either good at hiding them or never had them except with that girl. "Affirmative." He walked back out of the room.

Tyler was wondering what mad man had pulled that freak show together and what kind of backwards reality had he walked into. If he wasn't being fooled, he was in a world where the cold war was still going on and they were now fighting with giant robots piloted by teenagers. He found it easier to think about how strange this reality was compared to the one he may never see again.

The door opened once more. It was Tessa. Tyler felt oddly at ease it was her. He didn't want to admit it but he felt like he could trust her. He didn't want too but it seemed his very spirit felt calm when she came around last time. He tried to get himself to remain detached but that smile she had made it almost impossible.

"Thank you for waiting. I have prepared a room for you Mr. Roberts and we'll discuss what we will do when we reach port." Tyler smiled and blushed at her formality. He wanted to give her a hug and tell her how cute she was but he kept that thought to himself. He had to remember he was the only one looking out for his wellbeing from now on. Only the man in the mirror could be trusted.

"Call me Tyler. I'm not military so you don't need to be formal with me Tessa." Tyler stood up and waited for her to lead the way. She began to lead but she almost seemed to be tripped by the air and began to fall towards the steel floor. Tyler had always imagined military professionals being graceful but this girl had just been tripped by the air. His instincts took over and moved into position and caught her before he could force himself not too. Her eyes were closed as she had been bracing for the impact. Tyler couldn't stop looking at her and her cute wrinkled nose. Her white hair was soft in his hands and she smelled really sweet and everything about her seemed perfect. Tyler felt his heart flutter. He started too loath himself as it happened. Him falling for anyone now would only leave him weak. She opened her eyes and looked up at him as he started to mentally call himself various swear words in two languages. Their eyes met and Tyler could feel a field of butterflies swirl in his stomach again as he looked at those grey twinkling stars.

He finally let her up and she clumsily regained her composure.

"This way,…Tyler." She stammered. Tyler scratched his head nervously as he followed along. He wasn't sure what this world held for him but meeting Tessa meant it wasn't all bad.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Step Forward

As he looked up at the ceiling of his cramped cabin, Tyler tried to figure out exactly what was happening. He went to the beginning of this screwed up tale with him walking out of his dorm to go to a formal banquet. As he left his dorm, he remembered that blue light at the end of the hallway, sparkling and shimmering. Every part of him told him to go the other way and act like he didn't see it but his curiosity got the best of him and he ventured down that long hallway. Each step, the light grew in intensity until he had to shield his eyes and the warmth of the area also increased as he drew closer. The more he approached, the further his instincts told him to turn around but at this point something was driving him to keep going. Even as every fiber of his being begged and pleaded for him to stop, an invisible force pushed him forward. The moment he stepped into the light everything changed.

He felt his body being hurdled at such immense speed, the skin on his face was being pulled back and he felt it trying to be sheared off by the force. The blue lights gave away to a whole spectrum of pulsing, flashing and alternating light that slowly started to overload his visual senses with grandeur. A fast swooshing sound howled past his ears and he could hear faint voices in the distance, but their pointless murmurs were unintelligible. He went through this multi-colored limbo for what seemed like hours until he fell into a tight metal corridor. He could remember steam being released out of a pressure valve right into his face. He was barely far enough away to avoid being burned. As the steam moved passed his eyes, His whole body felt sore and ached as if he had been violently shaken up and thrown down on the ground. He slowly stood up and then an orchestra of a few guns clicking of the safety caught his attention.

He looked to see at least four heavily armed guards. Their faces distorted in scowls, their bodies covered head to toe in full body armor, that he had seen only high level militaries wear. The most striking part was three of them couldn't have been older than the average high school student. After being roughed up and dragged to the interrogation room and those events that followed had led him here in this tiny cabin on a ship, in a reality he didn't understand.

Tyler stood up and moved towards the tiny sink in the room. It was barely the size of a bowl and the mirror could probably fit in a purse. He turned on the water and splashed his face, hoping he would wake up at any second. As the water dripped down his face, he realized he wasn't waking. Frustration began to build as the nightmare was slowly becoming real and the weight of the truth began to thrash his psyche.

It was a building pressure against his conscious. It expanded and expanded and began to push his restraint to the limits. He slowly began to swear into the empty space, at first blaming himself for his own stupidity. He had a life and now he destroyed it to check out a light at the end of a hallway. His anger switched targets and began to throw mental obscenities at those he encountered. They first treated him like a terrorist and then turned around and had no solutions to his problem. Their ridiculous world had interfered with his and now he was stuck. As far as he could gather, he was now forever enveloped in this world against his will. His friends and family weren't here to comfort him and this pushed his aggravation to the final zenith of human tolerance.

He looked up at the mirror, as his very reflection seemed to mock him for his stupidity and the hopeless situation he was now in. His own reflected scowl scolded him for what he had done and where it had landed him. He couldn't stand the sight of the idiot in front anymore. He began to yell loudly and reared his fist back with every muscle and fiber of unbridled rage and sent it flying straight towards the mirror.

The mirror exploded with sparkling pieces flying in every direction they could. They clinked light as they landed against the metal floor. Tyler had stopped the taunting of his reflection but it didn't sedate his anger. He pulled his hand back slowly as his blood began to drip on the floor. Each drop of blood, each cut and each scratch was memo and a mark of his foolishness and this reality's insanity. He could still catch shards of mirror embedded in his hand. He felt the pain but he had ceased to care.

He heard the steel sliding door open with a quiet hiss. He turned to see someone standing in the doorway. It was a young woman in her twenties, in amazing shape. She had Asian decent in her but wasn't full. Even though she had short black hair that came to her neck, her eyes had a violet hue that stuck out from her pale skin and sharp nose. She was wearing a black tank top but wore sage-green cargo pants. Her narrow and delicate features seemed almost disinterested in the sad sight she was looking at. Even with that, her eyes were still etched by years of blood and loss and sadness.

"What do you want?" Tyler growled, clinching his hand. His mind had enough to contend with. This woman's very presence was goading him and her blank face seemed to silently laugh at the pool of doleful he had fallen into. As she looked at him, she pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke it. The smell of tobacco wafted into the room, and began to push the clean air out of the room. She just sat there and admired the flavors of her little cigarette and just watched him as he continued to scowl at her. Her silence was driving a nail of his already ice-thin patience and it was slowly beginning to crack. "Are you going to keep looking at me while smoking that thing?" Tyler snarled. She just looked up and smiled him. He just rolled his eyes as his questions just kept getting silent answers.

"You seem to be adjusting well." Her voice had a slight rasp to it from a smoking habit but mellow like a smooth whiskey. Tyler began to clinch his fists and the shards that were embedded in his palms began to crack and pop and the blood trickled at a faster pace, and a small puddle began to from. She looked him up and down and Tyler could almost hear the judgments she was passing on him even though she uttered no words but continued that indifferent smile. He could imagine her laughing at him as he wallowed in his own vehement fury. He could almost read the remarks at his expense on her face. The longer she stood there, the more he had to remind himself he only had one good fist to punch with. "Let me show you to the infirmary to get that looked at." She smiled once again but it was warm this time and comforting. Tyler wanted to decline out of what pride he had left but that wasn't much as it slowly dripped on the floor with every blood droplet that hit the floor. He sighed; releasing what infuriation he had left and nodded his head.

As they walked, Tyler kept catching people glaring at him. They would whisper to their nearest colleague or just gawk at him with a face of disbelief or spite. This walk felt like he was walking into the main stage for the freak show and he was the prime attraction. Every glance and glare felt like a poke or a prod at him and each one tried to stir the anger he had finally suppressed when this mystery woman interrupted his tantrum.

"I'm Melissa Weber, by the way" The woman threw over her shoulder. She still had that smile on her face as she continued to chew on that cigarette. She wasn't overly girly in the way she walked. It was almost as masculine as Tyler's as she strode without any grace, but just drive. Like the Sousuke before, she didn't waste any energy, even walking. "I never caught your name."

"It's Tyler." He reluctantly let out of his mouth. Even though, Melissa was trying to act trust worthy, Tyler didn't buy it. He was on a mysterious ship with mysterious people. His luck would have him drop his guard, and then one of these people would stab his back. His name was all he was willing to give out at the moment.

They continued their little stroll, down several corridors and in the path of more gawkers, who just mindlessly stared at him like a prisoner on death row. He wanted to roar at them to quit looking at him like that but he was already certain he would be seeing a therapist before the day was finished.

"So, you're the one that got caught in that reality rift and got sent here?" She said with a smile despite his deplorable mood. Tyler was surprised she even asked. On a vessel like this, his unbelievable story was probably the only thing anyone could talk about and he hated every moment he was that person.

"I don't want to talk about it." Tyler replied solemnly. It was nothing personal against Melissa but even he didn't understand all that had happened. For him to recall the events would be nearly impossible without being under the influence of something the bartender had to regulate or a doctor had to prescribe.

"We all got those stories around here." She returned with the exact same of solemnity. He then remembered these people were soldiers. They had seen worse than anything Tyler ever would. They lived, breathed and died war alongside their allies and friends and here he was acting like a child. He was still in emotional turmoil but if these people handle that kind of pressure every day, he could learn how to. He started to feel a little better.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Melissa turned in shock at the person talking behind her. Tyler had gone from sulking, pile of anger to a slightly less irritable sulking pile of anger. She couldn't fathom what had caused the sudden turnaround in that short time. She started to worry he was about to go on a killing rampage. "How do you deal with the stress of it all?" That question further threw her off. She started to feel a little bit of respect for him. He had been put through something that could easily break the spirit and destroy the mind but he somehow stopped himself right at the edge when everyone else would have fallen over. She turned to him and he barely stopped himself from running into her. Her hand found its place on his shoulder. He looked up at her in earnest. She could feel he was letting some of the walls fall, slowly, surely.

"You gotta move forward." Tyler had heard that before but for some reason the meaning was becoming more apparent. "You really can't control the shit that gets thrown at you but you wade through it and keep going." She saw him lower his head in thought. The words were resonating with him.

She had a good point. Getting frustrated and going into fits of rage didn't help him and if anything it had ended doing more damage. He looked at the sight of his hand, with shards of mirror in it. He knew he had to stop having episodes like this. Even though it was easier said than done, he had to try. He looked up at Melissa and desperately wished he could trust her but even now, his instincts wouldn't allow it.

"Let's get going before this thing wants to bleed again." Tyler jested. Melissa let another smile out as Tyler had dropped a few walls. She knew he had more to go but at least he was making progress towards regaining control of his emotions. They continued until they finally reached a door with a red cross. Melissa opened the door for him and he went in. He looked around at the sterile and barely bearable bright white med bay. There were eight beds lined against the wall, each an EKG machines and other medical equipment he didn't understand. The room stunk of disinfectant and was inhumanly cold. He clinched his shoulder his good hand to try to warm himself up.

He looked about the room to see if a doctor was present but the room was had no life except him. He sighed and took the bed against the far wall. He slowly crawled into it, avoiding any contact with his injured hand. He wiggled around for a bit until he got into a perfectly comfortable position and rested his head and stared up at the white ceiling. He started to feel creeping sensations of fatigue. The chaotic churning of his emotions and his injured hand had drained him of every ounce of resolve and he was just now feeling the weight sinking him into a deep sleep. His eyes began to flicker as he fought the urge to go under but he finally relented.

Tyler shot up and felt a sharp pain in his back. After his eyes adjusted to the light he looked around. The pure white of the sub infirmary had disappeared. The old and chipped red halls and brown stained carpet of his dorm surrounded him. The smell of sweat and old booze filled the air. The sounds of bad rap music and people chattering played like a delightfully melody to his ears. Tyler sighed in relief. All he had just experienced was just a long nightmare. He slowly forced his achy body to stand. As he stood, he looked around to see if anyone was around. He could hear the noises of other students but there was no traffic despite it. He pulled his cellphone at his pocket. It was 3:30 and he was late for his class. After a dumbfounding episode of panic he madly dashed down the hallway. The doors flew by. He was becoming grateful no students occupied the hallway as he made his mad sprint for the elevator. As he approached the old and rusted stainless tell doors, he pressed the button frantically, hoping the elevator would come swifter with each press. After it arrived at its same pace; Tyler hoped in and madly pressed the button for the first floor. His impatience as it continued his slow pace. He finally gave up and leaned against the back wall. He was reassured it was just a dream but it was chilling how real it was. He should have known the moment he heard giant robots and teenagers being in a mercenary band he should have figured that out himself but he was relief was immeasurable that it was nothing more. He quietly giggled at how badly he became disturbed in the dream.

The elevator opened up and he stepped out. No one was at the reception desk, flirting with a co-ed who shouldn't even be in the building. He assumed they were at lunch and walked blissfully out the door. When he threw the doors opened, his heart stopped, his mind froze and his mouth fell open.

Everyone he knew was standing before him, on campus grounds. All his classmates gazed at him with welcoming smiles and waved at him. His teachers stood at him with accepting faces and all of them were led by his father, standing out in the front. The man in his late fifties, stood grizzled by time but his face was lifted by a warm smile and his hand was outstretched, waiting for Tyler's. The sight of everyone he knew before him, started to bring a tear to his face. He was home and he understood the feeling of the word. It was no longer four words put together but an emotion and an actual tangible thing he could feel warming his body. He was home.

His father and with that low friendly tone he said "Come on home. We miss you." Those words shook Tyler to his core. He could feel his very foundation quake and his face started to run with hot tears. He didn't know why everyone was standing like that with open arms just for him at this weird hour but he didn't care. He started to move forward but his foot landed on air. He looked down and saw the ground start to give away. He looked up at his father to see what to do. His father's face had fallen into sadness. "Please Tyler. Come home." Tyler started to step over the hole. He wanted to go home and nothing was going to stop him but Hell itself. As his foot maneuvered around the hole a new opened up. He took a step around that one but another appeared. Tyler looked back the group of people, desperately seeing if they could help but all their faces had fallen into depression. Tyler could feel the loneliness settling in again. The ground started to give away faster and the loneliness became heavier in his chest as it dragged his soul down like a ball and chain strapped to his heart. "Tyler, please!" His father yelled in desperation. Tyler could feel his tears come faster and now something starting to pull him back. No matter how much he fought it, he was being forced back by the ground giving away and those he cared far became farther away.

"Tyler…" Tyler yanked his head towards his back at the whisper that came from behind him. When he looked in its direction, nothing was there. He could feel the whisper's luring sound. It was soft and kind and called to him like the sirens of old. He looked back at his father and those around him. They started to move farther away. Tyler tried to move forward but the invisible ball and chain kept him held fast. He reached out, hoping someone would reach back and save him from the loneliness and force him away from embrace of the arms of sorrow. "Tyler…" That whisper called to him once again. Tyler grew furious as it belayed any attempts to be with those he cared for. He turned his eyes in a glorious blaze of anger and spite. Still there was nothing there behind him. He had no reason to go back but something was trying to make sure he did. It wished to guarantee he never went back to the world and reality he belonged too. He finally fell to his knees in frustration. He looked up at the clear blue sky. His tears continued to roll down his face. He cursed the sky for its limitless freedom while he damned. He let out a monstrous roar as his last act of defiance.

Tyler rapidly sat back, flailing wildly as his feeling orientation changed. He looked about to room. It was the sub's infirmary. The images were still fresh in his mind and the emotions still churned as he tried to make sense of it. He felt something wet against his cheek. He wiped his face to see the tears were the only real thing he had during that entire experience. The anxiety and chaos Melissa had freed him of was now looking for its prisoner once more and his mind was slowly falling into the snare once. He punched the side rail of the medical bed to try to release some his anger.

"Tyler…" It was that soft whisper once more. It was the one that held him back in his dream. His face distorted into a snarl and his demonic gaze turned to its source. He saw Tessa, in her sage-green officer's uniform, just innocently starting at him with the end of her braided pony tail being twirled in front of her lips. Tyler's anger relented as he saw the concerned look on her face. All he could do was let out a long sigh. Like brake pressure being released, Tyler slowly began to release the weight on his shoulders. Even with her hair in the way, the concern was apparent. Her brows accented the intense look that was aimed at Tyler. "The doctor said you started to tear up when he started to work on your hand. He recommended I come and talk to you." Tyler could almost taste the pity and it sickened him had gotten that low to where even a medical doctor could tell he was off emotionally. All he could do was stare at his own hand as it was now tightly bandaged, with a lifeless glare as he tried to draw back his emotions. Tessa caught this and placed her hand gently on his. The feeling sent a spark all the way up his arm and chilled his spine. He looked over at her and the emotions began to attempt another destruction of his suppression. He bit his lip, hoping the pain would distract him. Tessa attempted once more to reach through his emotional guard. "You can trust me." Those words struck a nerve in him. It sparked a core buried inside him and started to ignite a powder keg of realization. A truth he had sealed away was finally coming back to the surface. He just wanted to be able to trust someone and stop being alone.

"That is exactly it!" Tyler pushed through his clinched teeth. "I don't know who to trust!" His fists grew tighter but Tessa kept her hand firmly placed on his. "I don't know if you and your friends are messing with me or I am seriously in a world where I no longer exist." Tyler could feel the emotions destroying the walls but he didn't understand why this girl was the one he was venting too. Even Melissa's words didn't reach out to him like Tessa's were at that crucial moment. "If you are being serious, I have no one. I'm alone." Tyler let that word loose. The very word that was heart of his frustration and rage, was now finding voice and even admits this release, Tyler couldn't help wonder why, this girl before him was the one that he relented too.

He felt something warm, start to wrap around him. It was comfortable and safe. He slowly raised his hand up to where the warmth crossed his chest. He felt an arm in an officer's uniform embracing him. It was delicate, it was comforting and it was safe. Her soft hair brushed against his face and her sweet smell gently put him at peace. The savage beast of his emotions started to slumber. He could feel himself slowly embrace her back. He was afraid of letting her go as it would send him back over the edge.

"I promise you, we are not messing with you." She whispered gently in his ear. Tyler found himself believing her but unlike the first time, he let himself. "I also promise you, you are not alone." He didn't know if she was just talking about herself or all the people he met but it was a sweet melody to hear regardless. It would take time for him to trust the others but he finally found someone to trust for now. Maybe he would come to trust the others like he did Tessa but that was in an unforeseeable future.

She finally started to let go and it was as if she was pulling all his grievances with her. A weight he didn't notice before started to lift and the fog that distorted his thoughts started to clear. With a clear mind, he turned and looked over at his savior. Her grey eyes sparkled in the lights of the infirmary and her smile was soothing to just look at. To him at that moment, she was the light that got him out of those shadow days.

"Thank you." He knew that would never be enough to repay what she did but he hoped she could see he was smiling for the first time in a while and it was genuine and not one he forced himself to do to greet people but one that came from a sincere place, and one of a man who escaped the arms of sorrow. He figured she did, as her smile grew to each ear.

"So, what will be your first step forward in this new world?" She asked politely. He had never given it much thought prior to her bringing him back from that dark chapter. He would miss his old life and those he left behind but for them and for the person in front of him, he would write a new one. He would carve his own existence into one he would be proud of. For this was his first step forward.

With a wicked smile and a new blaze of determination, Tyler boldly replied "Is your little group hiring?"


	3. Chapter 3: Hound of Hell Earns Its Fangs

When Tyler begun his fantasies of taking his step forward, he didn't think mechanic was that first step as he sweated in his sage-green jump suit , while hanging off the shoulder of a giant robot that every one called an "Arm Slave". It was 28 feet tall and based on the humanoid form. The starch white armor glistened in the light, and the edges were very rigid and the face only had a pair of rigidly shaped green optics. The form was very elegant and reminded Tyler of a night in full armor but thousands of years ahead in technology and tons heavier. The shoulders had a plate extended out from the shoulders like riot shields that offered extra protection to the face. The smell of oils and hydraulic fluid was pungent enough to make one ill from breathing it in too long but Tyler managed. He finished repairing a hydraulic line. When he patched the tube, he wiped the sweat off his brow. He grabbed his red tool box and begun the slow decent down the latter. Even with the Arm Slave on its knees, reducing its height in half, Tyler was still shaking nervously as he slowly came down the ladder. When he finally reached the floor he stepped back and looked at the machine in full detail.

It was a magnificent creation. The elegant lines always meet at clean corners and looked like something straight out of a cartoon or video game. He still couldn't believe he got to work on these incredible pieces of engineering while he waited for his aptitude scores to come back in. He didn't mind letting his short college education go to waste as long as he got to work with these walking miracles of science and robotics. He walked up and patted it on the knee as gratification in his work set in. He took his once white shop rag, now brown, and wiped the oncoming wave of sweat. He threw it back in his red tool box and looked back at the hangar.

The hangar inspired more awe. While being on a submarine, he could count at least eight more of the same type of Arm Slaves he just finished repairing, two more with black paint and slightly narrower heads and one, while still white, had forgone the shoulder armor, had a shoulder mounted gun and had orange trim on the forehead, down the middle of the legs, on the sides of the calves, bottom of the arms and shoulders. Amongst theses, aircraft was neatly tucked away. The walls were dense steel like the rest of the submarine and lights hung from the high ceiling. Tyler felt tempted to yell if he could echo in the enormous metal space. It was safe to say the hangar was vast, and the immense size of the room was further evident with all the action going on. People scurried about, handing each other clipboards, tools and talking about their current task. They all seemed well coordinated and organized. Everyone wasted not a single step on their task and everyone counted on each other to do their jobs. A sage-green uniformed dancer is what Tyler thought of when he saw them move. Everything was on a schedule and no one missed a cue as he looked on. The only place that saw little activity was in the farthest end. A long, black tarp covered an unknown mass. Two heavily armed guards stood in front of it and that was the only people allowed past. Tyler found this odd, considering they were already an underwater secret. He just sighed and went to report he had completed his task.

He slowly walked, looking in the mass of sage-green military jump suits looking for his commanding officer, which was funny to him because he wasn't even officially Mithril but Tessa allowed him to become a mechanic to keep his mind off his worries and lessen the wait for his tests to come back in to see what he would be doing permanently. He enjoyed it the past week, as he got to learn about the different the type Arm Slaves. The only thing that irked him was Sousuke Sagara got to pilot the coolest looking one on the entire ship called Laevatein. Tyler was admittedly jealous at the people that got to pilot those amazing machines, while he only got to do minor repairs. He was almost praying his aptitude tests would allow him to pilot one someday.

As he shoved past and danced around the crowd, he started to get use to the rush of the other mechanics. He was yelled at several times for being slow but after dropping an important part, he quickly learned the routine and was one of the fastest on the ship and he was proud of that fact. He also had shown a knack for programming the Arm Slaves' computers.

After nudging past a few more mechanics, he finally found a tall person with long blonde hair that was almost as unkempt as his own. The mystery person had their hands on their hips, looking at another group of mechanics. If anyone else had seen this, the hair would make one assume it was a girl. Tyler knew better.

"Hey, Sargent Weber" Tyler tried to get his attention but Sargent Weber was too busy looking at the mechanics across the room. Tyler looked over and saw they were mostly women bending over a foot joint of another Arm Slave. Tyler tapped him to get his perverted commanding officer to pay attention. "Sir, I finished the repairs." He jumped as Tyler raised his voice and flinched out of fear of reprisal for his gawking. He sighed in relief as he saw it was just his lowly subordinate. Tyler noticed how short his commanding officer was to him. He was rugged and looked fresh out of high school. Tyler was starting to wonder if they had them do field training as kids.

"Good." Sargent Weber replied. "If that is all, you can catch some rest. I am pretty sure Mardukas wants to go over your aptitude scores." Tyler sighed. He didn't mind the rest but with a perverted Sargent and the old stiff that was the commander of the ship sometimes made him wonder if he was just having a livid dream but he had already been down that road covered with mental breakdowns and broken mirrors. He hated having to put up with the commander. He knew about the treatment Tyler had been receiving from Tessa and the commander was a shark combined with an overbearing and protective father.

"Before I leave, what is under that tarp over there?" Tyler pointed into the far side of hangar, dimly lit and guarded by two heavily armed soldiers. Everyone else he had asked stammered nervously and changed the subject. He hadn't seen Tessa when he started his stent as a mechanic, so he had no chance to ask her. It was almost ominous the way it sat there guarded. A wicked aura seemed to weigh heavy on Tyler every time he had the misfortune walking by. Even Sargent Weber began to quiver at his question.

"Umm….That is a need-to-know basis Private Roberts." Sargent Weber stammered like the rest. Tyler placed his face in his palm and shook his head at his degenerate commanding officer. He was also annoyed at anyone that called him by his rank. He wasn't officially Mithril yet and every day made him wonder if he even wished to be with the strange characters he had to put up with.

"I'll tell Melissa what you were staring at." Tyler crept over as Sargent Weber began to shake even more violently. Tyler whispered menacingly "Come on, Kurz! One little hint won't kill you but your wife is another story." Kurz spun around. Desperation painted his face.

"You didn't hear this from me but…" Kurz leaned close and whispered. "I hear the only people that do know are Captain Tessa and Commander Mardukas. Not even Sargent Sagara is even allowed to approach it without permission." Kurz stood back, regaining a fake commanding stance and face. Tyler could see he was still scared. "Now go take a break Private Roberts. That is an order." Tyler groaned at his unofficial rank.

He spun around and headed the door and said over his shoulder. "Whatever Sargent Weber and I'm not Mithril. Quit calling me Private." Tyler groaned and walked out of the hangar. He could still hear Sargent Weber shaking in his boots.

As after navigating through an endless labyrinth of steel, tubes and wires that seemed to never end; Tyler found his tiny little room. He pressed the button and the door slid open. As he entered the world changed. The bustle and commotion of the sub faded and he was in his own little sanctuary. The fixing of a broken hydraulics tube or the replacement of a bullet ridden armor plate didn't bother him anymore. The once sanity eroding silence became peaceful and a calm to the storm of chaos. Yet he was now happy he was in the middle of something. It gave him less time to think.

He approached his bed and flopped on it. He didn't even bother taking off his sage-green uniform top. He just sat there and let the cool air of the subs air conditioning wash over him as he began to rest his weary body of another day full of hard and honest work.

His eyes began to look around the cozy room as he thought about what his aptitude scores would reveal. As his eyes went back to the completely destroyed mirror, he wondered what it took to become an Arm Slave pilot. He knew he would probably be stuck as a mechanic and cemented as a Private but at least he would start doing something instead of sulking about the ship until they hit port. He still had to deal with the strange looks as the rest of the crew got used to him working on their technology and he didn't blame them for being distrustful of him. He was an unknown factor that was just literally dropped out of thin air but neither did he really want their approval. They were the freaks to him and he was starting not to care what they thought. He admitted it made him a bit chilly to others outside of those he worked with but until he found his place among them, he was just a fifth wheel.

The door slid open and Tyler wearily looked over at who was disturbing his thought processes. The ever so indifferent Melissa Weber stood there with a beer in her hand. Tyler smiled as the equivalent of a sister sat in his door way. Melissa had been one of the few people on the submarine that had openly tried to be nice to him. After taking up for him after he dropped the CPU to an aiming computer, the two had become like two siblings. Except for Tessa, Melissa was the only person on the ship Tyler felt he could confide in and he would always let her take out her drunken aggression out on her husband to him.

"Hey, Melissa" Tyler smiled and greeted warmly. Melissa returned the greeting in full.

"Hey, kiddo, you are needed on the command deck to discuss your aptitude scores." Melissa's smile began to grow as she mentioned it. Tyler was a bit confused at why she had that proud look on her face. He had already disqualified himself as any kind of pilot and fully expected front-line duty or mechanic or paper pusher. Her smile was indicating he was about to become more than that.

"So, am I now an official paper pusher?" Tyler joked as he got out of bed and began to follow Melissa. Melissa laughed as they walked back into the maze of metal and corridors. They began their walk.

"You will just have to wait and see. Captain Tessa wanted to tell you directly." Tyler's mind began to go crazy with his imagination. He started to hope he would become her personal secretary or he would get to replace Commander Mardukas. He doubted the latter and he knew he wouldn't be able to pull off the skirt of the first one but he was just excited he was going to see Tessa after not being able to get the chance the past week. He didn't even get the chance to thank her as she gave her his temporary position. He almost began to skip down the corridors and smile broke across his face, wider than the one before. Melissa looked back and giggled as Tyler was finally looking truly happy and she finally had a male companion that wasn't lecherous or had his mind buried in military. He was like the little brother she never had.

They finally approached the door to the command deck. Tyler began to feel nervousness shake his body and his mind quaked with anxiety. He had never been in that room. He never had a reason too. His smile faded and he began to let his face fall into anxiety as his brow tensed. Melissa turned back at him once more and gave him a reassuring smile. For the past week, it seemed Melissa had gotten him through everything and she vented to him about her subordinates and their quirks and Tyler hoped he could one day repay her with his new job somehow.

"You'll do well kid." Melissa replied with sense of nurturing in her voice. She placed her hand on his head and began rapidly move it about the mess atop his scalp. Tyler smiled as she continued to playfully mess up his hair. After she relented, he quickly fixed it back to its more presentable look. "I'll be waiting for you out here."

"Thanks Melissa. Here it goes." Tyler, adjusted his uniform one more time and pushed the button and the door slid open. He looked back over to Melissa one more time. She gestured with her head for him to move along. He nodded back and boldly entered the room. No matter what happened, he had someone on the other side of that door that would be proud of him no matter what. Even the perverted Sargent was slowly becoming someone else he trusted. Even if he ended up a janitor, he could live with that as long as he had his new friends behind him and he smiled at that fact. He was no longer alone.

He entered the doorway and he instantly was taken aback by shock. Just like the sci-fi movies, giant computers held displays of maps, data and the submarines schematics and other displays he didn't understand. These computers were against the wall as a handful of people typed and clicked away, not even aware he had entered the room. He looked in the middle and an old grizzled man in the sage-green uniform proudly stood. Everything from his frame to his face was rigid and stern. No rogue wave or change in the tide of battle could shake the solidarity of this man as he looked towards the biggest screen of them all at the front. Next to him sat a tall chair, bolted to the floor. It sat above everyone else in the room except for the Commander. Tyler saw tiny feet barely reaching the floor of the tall-backed seat. Tyler swallowed and began to move forward. His gut began to wrench at the scene. This was the brain of the submarine. Everyone who mattered on this vessel was sitting here and he felt completely overwhelmed by it all. It was like the mortal walking into the hall of the gods.

The man turned around, finally noticing Tyler's presence. He turned back towards the chair, his face rigid and showing no bias towards Tyler's appearance. "Madam Captain. Tyler Roberts is here about his aptitude scores." Tyler swallowed as he heard those words. He couldn't tell from the Commander's statement if he had done well or would end up cleaning the hull from now on. Even with the doubt in his mind, he continued on. The chair turned around and Tessa sat there, smiling at him. He returned the smile. She seemed almost relieved he was there, yet she was holding something back. Her lips were tense as the corners were raised. Tyler began to worry she was forcing a smile for him.

"Mr. Roberts, you came to us under unusual circumstances to say the least." Mardukas started. Tyler could feel his throat seal up. This sounded just like the start of a speech that ended with him failing miserably. The rest of the crew turned around and began to stare at him. He could feel the sweat crawl down his brow and back of his neck as he entered the spotlight. "Yet, even under difficult circumstances, you persevered and showed true heart as you moved forward. Even here at Mithril, traits such as those are treasured. Yet, those alone do not make the warrior." Tyler felt his heart sank. He now knew he would be a paper pusher. "Madam Captain, I wish for you have the honor of telling Mr. Roberts how he did." Tessa began to bubble up with enthusiasm. Tyler's heart began to rise. He started dreaming of being on the frontlines storming buildings and saving people. He would get the chance to fight alongside Arm Slave pilots and make a difference.

"After doing a physical exam and mental aptitude test, we find you are a rare case. " Tessa said as she restrained herself. Tyler knew rare could go two ways. "The only other people that scored like you did are our arm slave pilots." Tyler couldn't believe it. He was on par with those that got to pilot those amazing machines in the hangar like Melissa, Sargent Weber and even that thickheaded Souske. If he wasn't just coming to ill-founded conclusions, she might have been saying he was about to become a pilot. The room began to smile and he could see their hands come together for applause. "We normally don't do this but after a quick training course, you will become an Arm Slave pilot and serve under Sargent Commander Melissa Weber and her team as Urzu 8". Tyler was further blown back into euphoria. He would get to serve with one of his favorite people on the ship. He had gone from someone with nothing and he was finally becoming something worth being. This life was looking up. Tyler bowed humbled entirely by the opportunity at another chance to become something greater.

"Thank you Captain and thank you Commander." Tyler quickly popped back up saluted. As his hand reached his brow, the room began to clap and the personal in the room were filled with smiles as they gained a new crewmate.

"Once you complete your training, you will be given the rank of Sargent and a standard issue M9. Your training will start tomorrow with Sargent Commander Weber tomorrow." Mardukas saluted back. Tessa had joined him and the whole room broke out into one big salute towards him. Just as Tyler started to leave the room, he felt something tackle him in a warm embrace. He looked down to see Tessa hugging him and unleashing the giant smile she had been holding back the entire time.

"I'm so proud of you Sargent Roberts." She whispered to him. He hugged her back tightly. The whole reason he made it through the past two weeks was because of the very person. She was the light that guided him out the arms of sorrow and towards a life he could be proud of. She and Melissa had saved him and he now had a way to repay them both.

"I'm not a Sargent yet and call me Tyler,Captain." Tyler whispered back fondly. She nuzzled his chest as they embraced.

"Call me, Tessa. That's an order." They both quietly laughed. He still couldn't believe this angel was holding him right now. He didn't want to let go and find out this was a dream.

"Yes, Tessa" he replied back. He saw her smile grow bigger as her own named sounded so much sweeter coming from him. She didn't know why but she cared about him. She was a little sad, he would be putting his life on the line but she was overjoyed to see him smile like he was now. He wasn't smiling because he had too but because he wanted too. He smiled because a world he didn't understand was becoming clearer. He was smiling because he now had something to live for. "And thank you."

A loud cough coming from Commander Mardukas separated the two from their embrace and they jumped back blushing like two teenagers caught in an act of ill-advised romance. "You are dismissed Sargent Roberts." Even Mardukas seemed to be smiling now. Tyler nodded and saluted to him and Tessa and walked out proudly. Each step now held the drive of everyone else on the ship. He could now look in the mirror, once they replaced it.

As he exited the command deck, he turned over and saw Melissa smiling wide. He suddenly realized she had known. The smiling and hinting all made sense. She knew he was going to serve under her. He was a little hurt she didn't let him know earlier but he was too happy to care.

"So how does it feel, Urzu 8?" She asked with a wicked smile. That confirmed it.

"It feels freaking awesome." He returned back. He gave her a thumbs-up. He lowered and gave a more genuine smile. "Thank you Sargent Commander Weber." He replied formally.

"Even when you get your official rank, call me Melissa." She laughed and messed up his hair once more like an older sibling being proud as the younger one had triumphed. After he fixed his hair once again, he messed up her hair in return. She laughed as they began to rough house. Once they stopped, her expression turned serious. Tyler froze afraid she was about to make him do pushups till he puked.

"Tomorrow you are going to learn the meaning of Hell but…" her smile returned. " The rest of Urzu is going to celebrate our newest member. What is your favorite beer?" Tyler was elated she was his commanding officer. He was sure he would end mutinying against Sousuke and he doubt he could take Sargent Weber seriously. He wouldn't mind following this woman into Hell.

"I will avoid drinking tonight. I need to learn the meaning of Hell tomorrow." Tyler jested.

"Good boy. Now let's celebrate."


	4. Chapter 4: The Fangs are now Sharp

The Danaan finally hit port and Tyler was the first to rush out. He dashed out of the doorway onto the metal gangplank. He slowed down and took his time to observe his surroundings. The dock they pulled into was massive and two times larger than a football field. It was built into a costal cavern. The top was reinforced with a concrete ceiling and metal beams. Two gigantic walkways were on parallel sides of the submarine, with an amazing view to the vast ocean. Tyler walked down the gangplank and turned and looked at the vessel. Even with the unbelievable magnitude of its size, it was just as elegant in the design. It almost resembled a dolphin in its elegance. The black painted steal also added to the mystery of it. Tyler truly started to believe he was in another world. His reality had nothing even remotely close to something of this. It was like the gods themselves had blessed its design and even as it idled in the water, its power was unmistakable.

He turned back around and started to move towards the front of the port and look out towards the sea. He could tell they had arrived early in the afternoon and the weather indicated a late spring or early summer as the sea breeze graced his skin and the smell of salt filled his lungs. The whole thing seemed peaceful. It was fitting considering where he had come from. The turmoil and chaotic waves of his mind contrasted heavily to the peaceful and gentle undulating of the water before him. Its bright clear blue hue glittered in the sun like diamonds were floating just under the surface. All of this peace brought about calm in the air.

He heard someone step behind him and turned to see Melissa with a beer in her hand and a wicked scowl on her face. Either Kurz had been caught ogling another female crew member or she was about to teach him the meaning of Hell. Tyler walked over to her. His footsteps were muffled by the sounds of the water gently splashing against the concrete walkway. He swallowed hard as he approached and they made eye contact. The sister he saw in Melissa was gone and now he saw his worst nightmare.

"This is Mithril's newest base of operations. Thankfully the Japanese government sold it to us cheap, since our old one got nuked." Tyler's eyes flew open. Where he came from, anyone using a nuke would incite a world war and the end of life. The fact she said it so casually made it worse. "You are on Solheim Island. This where we train our new recruits and that means you maggot." That word stuck in his ear. He knew she was going to start breaking him down by calling him derogatory names and insults and rebuild him into a fighting machine. "Unlike other recruits, you don't have as much time to get into shape and I expect far more out of you." He saw the sisterly side of her for a faint second. "From this point you are not human." Tyler sighed as the drill instructor started to come out of Melissa. "You will eat, shit and breathe military. If you leave my island, if you survive the training, you will be a weapon." Tyler could feel a nervous sweat begin to break out. He wondered how fast he could run back on the boat and ask to be a janitor. "But until that day, you are a puke. You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even a human fucking being. You are nothing more than an unorganized grabastic piece of amphibian shit!" Tyler froze at attention as she began to yell for everyone on the pier to hear her. "You will from now, your first and last words will be ma'am and no ma'am. Do you understand that maggot?"

Tyler swallowed as Melissa had turned into a full on tyrant of a woman. He felt his stomach bottom out and his manhood reseeded in a heartbeat. He yelled " Ma'am, yes ma'am." He popped a quick salute.

She roared back. "Not loud enough numb nuts!" Tyler inhaled as much air as he could. Every ounce of his lungs rapidly filled to their bursting point and he let it out in one resounding yell.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" His yell reverberated throughout the entire dock. The few crew members that had come out, turned and stared at him as his voice bounced about, slowly fading away. Melissa stepped back, not expecting him to roar to a feral animal. It was as if the hound of hell itself barked back in response. She at first was worried this would break him but she noticed he was responding well. His posture was already becoming straighter and tighter. He was the clay and she would slap him silly until he looked like a true soldier. Yet, even though her work was cut out for her, she could see the potential warrior begging to get out.

The first day was ungodly. Melissa had dragged him through a full day march, with fifty pounds of gear stuffed into a rucksack. He didn't even get time to take more notice of the facility he was in. She just threw him on a bus and drove him through the facility and out on to the wilderness with nothing but lush green trees, an orchestra of animals chirping and howling, an unpaved dirt road and the sun baking anyone out in its gaze. He would have been admiring the nature that surrounded him but Melissa was right behind him calling him even more foul terms and using insults that didn't even make sense. She even asked him how tall he was just so she could act surprise that they stacked fecal matter that high.

He continued his excruciating jog. Every muscle soon began to ache in the sun. The humidity was becoming unbearable as his sweat made his uniform stick to his damp skin. Even in his discomfort he couldn't stop. The twisted cocktail of Melissa cussing at him and his own pride kept him going with the only thing in front of him was more dirt road. It seemed to go on infinitely and would never bring an end to the hike from Hell. The only evidence Tyler made progress was the trees moved by and he would come to a slight incline, where Melissa would scream at him to go over it faster than the last one. Somehow his body managed to comply and he would almost end up sprinting with all he had. Each footstep protesting in pain but his spirit even joined in Melissa's goading and verbal shoving forward.

Tyler took notice of his footsteps and their rhythm to keep his mind from wondering too far off or him stumbling and falling on his face. Each one landed and lifted at a constant tempo. Despite his fatigue, he was able to push himself at a constant pace. He started to think of these as him continuing his steps forward. Each step could bring him closer to realizing his goal of being something in this reality. He owed it to so many people to keep going. He owed it to himself to become better in any way and be happy with the life he forged with his bare hands and blistered feet. He owed to Melissa for her faith in him and her willingness to reach out to him when he felt there was no one in the world that would. He owed to his future teammates and crew to show he was worthy of trudging forward with them as a comrade and as a brother. He owed to the whole organization that gave him a second chance on an unknown complete stranger. He owed it to Tessa. For all those he owed, he marched forward and then he began to jog forward and with a well-placed "Move maggot" from Melissa, he began to sprint once more towards his future. He was going towards a better tomorrow. He was still a bit in the darkness and away from the sun of his future but he would struggle and fight until he came to that horizon of promise and a meaningful life that only he could reach.

The sun was slowly setting as he continued his frantic pace. Melissa couldn't help but admire the conviction of the young man before her. Despite being in an unfamiliar place, he marched forward without hesitation. She could feel pride well up as she gazed upon a man with nothing but his will and a hope for tomorrow fight forward with all that he had. She could almost see him sweating off the darkness that plagued him and she could slowly see sparks of determination begin to go off in him as he battled and moved unrelenting towards a goal and a dream. She swore at him some more to help kindle those flames. One day, she knew Tyler would be an amazing person. She was even starting to be a bit envious of Tessa.

Tyler could feel his pace slow. He roared mentally at himself to not slow and not to falter as he kept running. The rucksack started to become heavier but he once again took in Melissa's harsh words and pushed forward and made himself never slow or yield. He protested against his body to keep moving forward. Even as he felt his legs trying to give out, he forced them to continue as they burned and ached to stop. He forced himself to ignore their cries and kept each foot moving in front of the other. His drive to become part of Mithril was bordering on an obsession as he dragged himself and demanded himself to keep up the tempo Melissa had set. With another push, he felt a leg grow too weak to comply. Like a piece of paper, it began to crumble and his entire body was sent into free fall. Tyler swore as he felt the ground quickly coming up to him and then with a resounding thud, he fell on the ground. He swore at his weak physique for not doing what was needed. He tried to get his arms back under him but they moved at a snail's pace. Once he had them solidly planted he started to stand but in his peripheral vision he saw a hand.

Standing in front of him, Melissa had that sisterly smile on her face once. Tyler could feel the pity weighing on him. Was this the best he could put forward? Was he just deluding himself into believing he could even be among the elite he was striving to be? This hand before him was an open invitation to accept his weakness. He couldn't accept that. He had to do this on his own. Any help would only diminish all that he was working towards.

Melissa looked down at Tyler. She didn't tell him, he had ran twice the normal distance the average recruit. She couldn't help feeling so prideful in him. She wouldn't tell him but he was already showing an unreasonable amount of potential. She held out her hand, expecting him to take and they walk together towards the training camp but what she actually got made her almost come to respect Tyler as a complete equal.

Tyler growled with a low, soft tone as he slowly forced his body up on its own. The fifty pounds of gear tried to force him down but through pure will, he refused. His mouth was torn open in a snarl from the pain his body was in as he resisted its cries to go back down. He wasn't trying to be rude but prove to Melissa he could do what he had too on his own. She wouldn't have to come save him because of his own weakness. He finally forced every part of his body to stand. His eyes glazed over as nothing but his will remained. He started off walking past Melissa. Each step ached and pained as he moved it but he demanded they move. He demanded every muscle and bone and cell to keep moving forward. He had already made the first step; he just needed to keep going.

"Ma'am, I have this ma'am." Tyler growled through his teeth as he started to pick up the pace. Her jaw fell in shock as Tyler began to pick up the pace once more. It was as if he had just started the run once more. She wondered what drove him to such lengths. She quickly followed in behind to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

Every footstep was as if he was strapped down with lead shoes and his body felt ten times heavier than normal. Even with that, all he had going was his will at that point. The full length promises turned just into faces as his mind tried to conserve energy. He saw Melissa, and he took another step for her. He saw Kaname being nice to him and bringing him tea. He forced another step. He saw Kurz helping him understand basic Arm Slave mechanics. He took another step forward. He saw Sousuke at the party help him understand what it would be like to pilot. He even took a step forward for that weirdo. He saw Tessa hugging him as he had been told about his scores. He began another mad sprint towards wherever he was going.

After collapsing three more times, Tyler and Melissa finally jogged twenty miles. They came onto a small campsite with two log barracks and a fire pit in between them. There was a cliff with a stunning view of the sea. Tyler would have been admiring it if he had already not turned off his brain and shifted everything to keeping up his pace. Palm trees danced around the perimeter to the sea breeze as it sung its beautiful and raspy song. Tyler was doing really well not to fall on his face as the breeze made him sway.

"Take off the rucksack maggot." Melissa replied wearily. Tyler's rucksack landed with a resounding thud on the ground. Even she was worn out as Tyler had jogged twenty miles across the entirety of the island. Most recruits are dropped off at the halfway point and they marched there but Tyler never even slowed to a brisk walk. He jogged twenty miles with almost no rest. She started to think even Tyler had freak traits. She sighed in relief as none of them seemed to affect his personality. "We are staying the barrack on the left. Dinner will be ready in two hours. Dismissed maggot."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am" Tyler slowly began to drag himself and his rucksack towards the left building but he stopped as Melissa had to test him one more time.

"I can't hear you!" She barked. Tyler started to suck in as much air as he could. The last strands of energy went into one last resounding roar. Melissa braced herself as the bark of a hound out of hell started come from Tyler.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am." Tyler roared. The entire island echoed from his voice. Sleeping birds took to the sky. The very earth shook as his voice boomed like a heavenly decree and the world felt it at the very core. Melissa blinked and cleaned her ears. Even after all he had gone through in a day, he still was able to muster up the loudest thing she had heard come from a human being. She looked over and saw it was all he had left. He had now passed out asleep on the ground. She smiled as the brother she never had slept on the dirt.

Tessa sat in her office quietly, as she impatiently waited for a call from Melissa's report. She worried she was pushing him to the brink of death. Scenes of him being chased by Arm Slaves and fighting off wild animals played her mind. She quickly calmed herself down. She continued to wait for that one call. She didn't know why but it seemed the whole world was just crawling at an unbearably slow pace as each tick of the clock further drover her patience over the edge. What was worse was she didn't know why she was fussing over Tyler as much as she was. She had faith he would succeed but it didn't stop her from worrying at all.

The door slid open and Tessa jumped as she was startled from her own thoughts. She looked up and saw Kaname in her pink pajamas. She looked down and she was still stuck in her stuffy officer's uniform and looked at the clock to see it was almost ten at night. She suddenly felt weary.

Tessa saw the concerned look on Kaname's face and could almost hear the following conversation before it even happened.

"I guess you are worried about Tyler?" Kaname asked. Tessa knew she was an open book and held no mystery on where her thoughts were.

"Melissa was supposed to call and tell me how he was doing. I am worried she is pushing him too far." Tessa began to nervously play with the end of her braided pony tail. Kaname took an opposite chair of the desk and looked worriedly at Tessa. Tessa began to nervously twiddle his thumbs.

"I'm sure he is fine." Kaname tried to cheer up Tessa with a smile but it didn't work. She would almost have to hear Tyler confirming his own safety to be reassured of that. "The guy is tough. He could even give Sousuke a run for his money." They both laughed at the thought. Tessa knew Tyler was constantly proving his resolve. He had stopped himself from going insane and was now undertaking grueling training to be of service. This, however, made her worry more. "Do you like him?" The question had no lead in. It came completely from nothing but it made Tessa wonder. She use to worry like this about Sousuke but now it seemed she was even more concerned about Tyler. She first rationalized it was because he was a civilian in difficult circumstances that would even be taxing on her best crew but there was something deeper than that. She didn't know at the conscious level but her concern for Tyler was beyond friendly or professional. "He is pretty cute and I saw the way you two looked at each other during his celebration."

"I know it isn't right but there is something about him." Tessa admitted before she could restrain herself. "You know he is handling it but deep down you want to hold him and tell him it will alright."

"Like Sousuke." Kaname started to smile with that face that was getting to the heart of the situation.

"Exactly but Tyler isn't Sargent Sagara." Tessa could hear the duress in her voice. Kaname was surprised. She thought Tessa would have noticed her hint that she only liked Tyler because he was like Sousuke but she completely went over it. Kaname began to wonder if there was something genuine there. "He is used to it but I am worried Tyler's mental state won't handle it." Tyler was impressive but he wasn't a superhuman. He had to have his limits and she worried he would push himself beyond them and end up destroying himself. She had seen many fires of passion and ambition consume those that had them. Tessa laid her head down on her desk as her concern persisted. "What do you think of him?" Kaname scratched her head at the question. She had only talked to him once and nothing but concealed sadness was marked upon his face. He had been polite and seemed like a half-decent human being but there wasn't any more she could pull from to gauge Tyler's character. Kaname shrugged as she couldn't form a definitive opinion.

"He seemed sad when I talked to him. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I was the one that had helped make the machine that dragged him here." As Kaname said those words, she realized a guilty feeling that had been lingering ever since Tyler came aboard. "It's not like we need to give him further reason to not trust us." Tessa nodded in agreement with that statement. She also felt the guilt of not being strong enough to stop her brother in time. If she had, Tyler would have never walked through that rift. An immense weight began to pile in her chest as she began to realize that they all had contributed to Tyler's torment in some way.

"I haven't even told him that we are 'Whispered' or even what that is." Tessa was starting to realize how much Tyler really didn't know. She wondered if he would come to hate her if he found out how much of a hand she had in his circumstances. "I didn't even tell him Mithril had to be rebuilt after that whole mess." Kaname leaned back and thought about it seemed fate had given her Sousuke back but in return it demanded that poor guy to lose everything in one crashing wave of destiny. His only luck was that he had safely landed on the submarine. The circumstances were against him but fate smiled on him and put him with the people that understood what happened.

"He'll probably laugh." Kaname replied. "The funny thing is Leonard was trying to get our histories to align with Tyler's old reality. From what I hear, we wouldn't have been that much better off." Tessa was puzzled by this. Tyler had never once mentioned his past to anyone and now apparently the only one he told too was Kaname. She started to feel jealous that Tyler divulged that to her.

"What did he say it was like?" Tessa asked trying to mask the swelling envy towards Kaname.

"He said the cold war was over, and the Soviet Union collapsed." Tessa started to see maybe she should have let the Tartaros take effect. The great arms race had come to a closing in the parallel reality. "Unfortunately, all the nukes the Soviet's had were stolen and now they can be found on the black market and the Middle East is still at war and America is deep in debt." Tessa gasped. She started to realize how bad things were without black technology. She started to wonder who had it worse and what Tyler had been through in his old reality. "So when is he coming back?"

"Melissa will have him out there for about a week and then he will be given his rank and sent out on an assignment, if he survives." Tess a sighed. Melissa was infamous for her tendency to overdo it when training recruits and she doubted she would take it easy on Tyler.

"You make it out like Melissa will try to kill him." Kaname joked. She didn't realize the truth behind that statement. Tessa just smiled nervously as she began to remember the number of lawsuits and sexual harassment cases Melissa racked up as a drill instructor.

"She may." Tessa laughed nervously. She fumbled some papers around as she regrouped her thoughts.

"I know Mithril is quickly rebuilding but will Tyler have his own AS when he gets back?" Kaname asked. Tessa knew they had some M9D-Falkes and Tyler would probably enjoy the black paint job but their parts were hard to get since they were limited in number. They had M9s with more parts but all of them were taken and the mechanics hated having a machine go through more operations with different pilots. She was more concerned with him coming back alive first.

"He will probably get into the Falk." Tessa replied. She knew the people that maintained wouldn't be happy with a complete rookie piloting their machine but the circumstances were strange. Mithril had been disbanded and rebuilt from the ground up with the backing of multiple nations and corporations but that still made getting resources hard to find.

"That is the black one, right?" Kaname asked. Tessa was constantly reminded that Kaname was still a fairly average Japanese high school graduate. She almost envied that life as she was constantly stuck in military affairs and Kaname got to enjoy her boyfriend without the worry that came with being a captain. She wondered if her concern was just a sad attempt at worrying over a boy like a normal adolescent female had the chance to do.

"Yes." The phone began to rang. Melissa's cell phone popped up on the caller I.D. and Tessa scrambled to pick up the line but missed and hit the speaker phone.

"Melissa reporting in with your lover boy." The indifferent voice said over the speaker. Tessa blushed and took the phone off the hook as Kaname held back from laughing.

"He is not my lover boy Sargent Commander. I am just worried about him being a civilian." Tess hissed into the phone. She was doing a horrible job of convincing everyone that heard, especially herself. "How is he?"

"He is asleep. He hiked all the way from the dock to the training camp." Tessa's jaw dropped in befuddlement. Kaname turned her face in confusion like a dog hearing a strange noise. That hike was just under twenty miles and most recruits she knew only had to do ten miles. Either Tyler pushed himself or Melissa tortured him all the way there.

"Why did you make him do that?!" Tessa screamed. Kaname fell over in her seat at the sudden burst in her voice volume.

"I didn't. We were going to take it easy after he reached fifteen miles but he kept going and I didn't want to break that kind of determination." Melissa replied after the ear splitting shriek which was still reverberating around the small white walled office. "He is fine and asleep in his barracks. Poor guy had to be woken up for dinner and he passed out the moment he hit his bed."

"If you feel bad, why aren't you taking it easy?" Tessa shrieked back angrily.

"Calm down Tessa, Melissa knows what she is doing." Kaname whispered. Tessa turned and glared at her. The eyes screamed for her to butt out.

"We don't have room for those that can't handle it." Melissa roared back over the phone. Tessa was taken aback by the ferocity. "He showed he had the potential to be an AS pilot. If you didn't want him doing this then you should had him be a mechanic." Tessa lowered her head as she started to doubt putting him on a path of war. "Plus you are not the only one looking out for his safety. I got an eye on the kid." Tessa lowered her head further. She didn't know why she was acting so protective. "Well I need to sleep. Melissa out." The phone clicked and she put it down on the desk and turned back towards Kaname.

"How is he?"

"Tyler is asleep after a jog across the island." Tessa sighed at what relief she could get. She tapped the phone impatiently as if she was already waiting for the next report on Tyler's status.

"At least he is doing well. "

"For now…" Tessa sat looking at her lap and continued to worry. Even she could imagine Tyler peacefully asleep on a bed somewhere she still imagined the trials after tonight. There was a significant chance he would never be the same and it would be her fault.

Every part of Tyler ached. If he wasn't being stuffed in a tiny cockpit of an Arm Slave, he was running an ungodly obstacle course with a heavy rucksack strapped to his spine and trying to pull him over. His only friend was yelling obscenities at him as he forced himself over a tall wooden wall. His hands had more blisters than he could count. He had received cuts on his face from the barbwire he was forced to crawl under on his back. Yet something pushed him. He had no reason to be doing this but he was and he was forcing every cell he could into it.

The days passed and the Hell didn't relent. Live fire drills and more Arm Slave simulations continued until Tyler vomited or passed out or both. He felt lucky to get three hours of sleep for the nightmare he was going through but he never lost the will to fight. He couldn't. He wouldn't allow it.

Tyler found himself on his final day, in his final hour. He was in a training arm slave sparring against Melissa. She was in a Gernsback but he had been forced into a hulking Rk-92 savage and he thought it looked like a beige monkey with a freaky head with two eyes and no other facial features.

Tyler fidgeted in the cramped cockpit as his black pilot suit sucked in the heat and blocked any comfort and cool air he could get in the cramped space full of controls. He had learned them quickly but their mastery was proving difficult and Melissa decided it would be a wonderful idea to allow his survival instincts to learn them for him.

"I think this is your worse idea yet, ma'am." Tyler sighed over the radio. He could tell he was in the less capable model and by the feel of it, he could tell that it was far slower.

"If you can't handle an opponent with a better weapon then why did you even bother?" her words were daggers trying to pierce his pride but over the few days, he had grown thick skinned and her insults only made him chuckle.

"Because I want to wipe that smug look off your face." Tyler retorted back laughing cockily. Tyler activated his hydraulics and the fight was on.

Tyler had his Arm Slave charge but Melissa's mech was too fast for such straight forward attacks. Tyler spun around looking for where Melissa had ducked off too. He started to place his mech's hand on the anti-tank dagger. He was shocked when he heard they made such a weapon but it soon became his favorite in training. He was decent with a rifle but he preferred up close and very personal.

His Arm Slave shuttered violently, disorienting and making the cockpit around him spin. Tyler quickly turned and saw Melissa had stepped back from a straight jab to the back of his mech. She hadn't even pulled out a single weapon yet, displaying how confident she was and how far Tyler was off in skill. He had to close the gap but he would only serve to get hit again and she would dance off in her faster machine. He had a little plan in mind to use that against her.

He charged wildly once more. As expected Melissa navigated her machine flawlessly out of the way and began to counter but Tyler had already pulled out his anti-tank dagger and spun around to where he knew she moved off too. A sick shredding of metal screeched out from the practice field.

Tyler looked with a smile as he had forced his teacher to draw her own knife. After so many sessions of just being mindlessly beaten back, he had finally made ground.

"Since I can't see into your cockpit serge, are you still smiling?" Tyler taunted as their daggers continued to tightly clinch together.

"You are good kid." Melissa said with a hidden sense of pride in her little maggot. "Don't get cocky though. I am still going to kick your ass!" She roared as she began to shove Tyler with her Arm Slave's superior hydraulics. Tyler's cockpit violently shuttered as the force shoved him back.

Tyler took a page out of his hand-to-hand combat practice and side stepped. Melissa almost tripped as she didn't expect the gigantic lumbering heap of scrap metal to move like Tyler was making it do. She didn't admit it out loud but she would have serious issues if they were piloting the same Arm Slave. Tyler wasn't a master but his ability to learn and adapt made his just as scary since his moves were unpredictable but all she had to do was wait for him to over commit to something. She just needed to wait for when his aggression got the better of him. She just needed to be patient.

Tyler decided to strike just as she began to fall forward. Tyler drove his Arm Slave into a full lunge but as he did, Melissa masterfully repositioned herself and threw her anti-tank dagger. Tyler's cockpit quaked and he could feel it falling apart as alert messages popped up on his screen. He checked his diagnostics and saw his left arm had been taken clean off. He swore as he got taken advantage of due to his over aggression. He flicked his back just as quickly.

"Damn you, Roberts!" Melissa cussed as his anti-tank dagger cleaved her Arm Slave's leg. Even as he had sustained damage, he still managed to launch a counter attack. He would become an amazing pilot at the pace he was going.

"I told you I would wipe that smile off your face." Tyler panted. He felt exhausted as that fight, while short, absorbed everything he had.

"Draw?" Melissa asked. He honestly would have won due to him being still standing but she didn't want him getting a big head.

"Yeah." Tyler figured she would find a way to beat him so he took what he could and called it a day.

Tessa eagerly waited on the deck as the hum and beeps of the computers agitated her patience as she waited for Tyler to come on deck and be officially sworn into Mithril. She began to fantasize about Melissa killing him on his last day of training but she tried reassuring herself Melissa wouldn't do such a thing.

"Madam Captain, we just received word Tyler and Melissa are aboard." Mardukas replied sternly. Word on the ship was Tyler had done very well and would be soon joining Urzu. The mechanics were already prepping an M9D-Falke for him.

Tessa continued to worry about Tyler as time seemed to stretch on to a painful infinity and the noises of the ship weren't helping alongside the awkward silence as everyone on the command deck waited. The door to the room opened. Tessa spun around wildly as she laid her eyes on a young man with wildly, messy black hair and a cocky expression. She sighed in relief as Tyler had survived. He even seemed to be a bit happier which she found a bit worrisome but she was still ecstatic for his return. She had to restrain herself from leaping up and hugging him.

Tyler walked into the room. All eyes were on him. Each one held a prideful smile as they were welcoming a new crew member among them. In this moment, Tyler's life was reforming once more. Everyone in this room had given their trust in him to prove himself worthy of being among them. He had done so and more. He now felt every one of them no longer looked upon him with pity but joy as he had passed his trials and gained a new brother-in-arms and he was more than happy to get the chance to serve. He had learned the meaning of Hell and he had now walked back into heaven. He turned his gaze towards the center of the room. Mardukas was even smiling at his accomplishment and Tessa was trying her hardest to keep it in but she was failing miserably and adorably. Tessa stood up and saluted. Tyler saluted back. The rest of the room joined in.

"Tyler Roberts as of now, you are now part of Mithril." Mardukas started. "You will now serve to preserve the balance of the world, protect the common good and give your life every day for your comrades. Are you ready for such a commitment?" The ceremony and granger of his voice added to epic atmosphere. Tyler felt like the hero that had just returned from training and was ready to begin his adventure.

"Yes sir!" Tyler barked. Mardukas turned with a fatherly smile and nodded towards Tessa. Tessa stood up trying to hide her joy and excitement over Tyler's success.

"Sergeant Roberts, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard. May you serve us well." Tessa said. Tyler nodded and saluted once more.

Crew broke rank, ran up to him and overwhelmed him with congratulations and pats on the back. He couldn't keep up with how many thank you's he was saying. At this moment his life all made sense.

Tessa coughed and the crew went back to their posts and her voice chimed. "May I speak to you in private about your upcoming mission?" Tyler nodded and they both walked out into the hallway.

Before Tyler could do anything, he felt a warm embrace around him. He looked down and saw Tessa tightly holding him. Before he could do anything he held her back. He wanted tell her that all those days she would occasionally run through his mind and give him encouragement to push through. He wanted to tell her he owed her his life and he would be forever indebted to her.

She pulled back but still held him and squealed "I'm so proud. I know you could do it." Tyler laughed at how cute she was despite being an officer.

"What did you expect? I'm not about to let the captain down." Tyler replied. He saw Tessa smile but he caught a twinge of pain in her eye. She had hoped he would see her more than just a captain but maybe that training had changed him. Just as she was about pull away she felt his lips get close to her ears. His breath warming her neck and sending chills down her spine. "Thank you for everything Tessa." Just the way he said her name made her realize she was more than just his captain but he continued just in case she didn't catch it. "I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you." He smiled at her like she had never seen before. It was illuminating and warm. It was if the sun itself had come a bit closer and began to light up the room. "I will owe you more than I could ever give." His words were a small camp fire on a winter night. Their warmth was comforting and she actually felt safe around him. She couldn't explain it at the moment but she just didn't want that single second in time to end.

She blushed and did something she thought she would never do. She quickly puckered her lips and delicately pecked him on the cheek. As soon as she realized at what she did she quickly scurried back into the command room. Tyler stood as he was still flustered. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He then realized she never talked about his upcoming mission.


	5. Chapter 5: Brother Hope Thou Art in Hell

Tyler stood in the dull briefing room. It was highly similar to a regular classroom with desk chairs that were unbelievably uncomfortable and a projector shooting images. The gray walls even made the air yawn in boredom and Tyler followed along. Yet the dull hum of the projector couldn't hide the roar of the loud vessel he was on. Even though it could easily seat over twenty; four were in the room at the time. Tyler, Melissa, Kurz and Sousuke sat impatiently as they waited to be briefed for the first mission with Urzu 8. Tyler was still a bit in disbelief. He was soon going on his first mission. He wondered if he would get the chance if he could stop some terrorists or rescue a diplomat. All these scenarios played like a hero's theatre until Captain Tessa walked in the room. Urzu team all stood up and saluted. It felt bizarre to Tyler saluting Tessa. He had hugged her more than most people would hug their sister but he still wanted to prove he deserved to be there so he played along and saluted. Mardukas walked in after her. Tyler was forced to endure saluting a bit more as his arrival meant they would be stuck in this uncomfortable position even longer. Tyler hated the ceremony but he played along as not to disappoint Melissa. He began to sweat as he waited for them to say the magic words.

"At ease." Mardukas stated boldly with his military. Tessa grabbed the remote to the projector off the table. She picked up it but it fumbled in her hands and after ungracefully juggling it, she dropped it on the floor and the batteries spilled out. Since they rolled close to Tyler, he went down to help pick them up but a warm hand landed on his. He started to blush as he saw Tessa touching his hand. Her soft hand was on his. It was like a cloud grazing the back of his palm and their eyes were locked into a gaze that would never end until Mardukas glared at Tyler. It quickly unlocked but both Tyler and Tessa were blushing horrendously. Kurz laughed along with Melissa and Sosuke had a look of confusion on his face. Tyler sighed and sat down in his seat but his cheeks were still red.

"Tomorrow, you will be deploying near Pripyat." Mardukas began. Tyler's eyes flew open. In his world that place was no longer meant for humanity and was a graveyard of a terrible nightmare come real. "We believe a terrorist cell is planning to do a black market exchange of stolen nuclear weapons." Sousuke just nodded like it was just another job. Melissa scratched her jaw and crossed her legs. Kurz felt the need to comment.

"Why would anyone want to do a business exchange there?" Kurz replied. "That place is a ghost town." Tyler knew full well why.

"I guess you guys couldn't stop the Chernobyl incident?" Tyler replied. Even in this world with amazing technology, that pitiful display of Soviet design still played out.

"Unfortunately not." Tessa replied sadly.

"And to answer your question Kurz…" Tyler breathed in. "Don't be stupid. That is a perfect place. You can hide the radiation signature in that area and with normal detectors it would still be like trying find a piece of straw in a haystack." Kurz frowned at Tyler's insult but understood he had a point.

"Good observation Sargent Roberts." Mardukas replied. Tyler had to stop himself from letting his jaw hit the floor. He had never been complemented by the commander directly. That was mostly due to him flirting with the captain and other antics. "Like the Sargent said, we won't be able to pinpoint the exact location of the exchange. A ground team will move in and scout the area." Mardukas pulled up the area map in which the operation was taking place. Tyler could see the building outline of the reactor. Tyler could only imagine what it would be like to be in that ghostly shadow. Knowing people died because of a single failure in human engineering. He wondered if this was some kind of omen. "Sousuke and Melissa will cover the ground units while they dispose of any nuclear devices. Kurz will provide sniper support and Roberts will be on standby alongside Kurz." Tyler sighed as he was given a less than exciting job. He wanted to stand-up and protest but he didn't want to embarrass his new team or Tessa. He just sat there and played his role of the good little soldier boy. He wondered how Sousuke could keep quiet about such things but he figured the man didn't have any emotions except with that blue-haired Asian woman. He still couldn't believe that was her natural hair color. "Any questions? The mission will begin tomorrow morning when we get near the coast." Tyler stood up along with the rest of his team. He saluted and impatiently waited for his dismissal which came an unbearable three seconds later. "Dismissed." They slowly filed out of the briefing room. Tyler rested his hands of the back of his head as he walked out. As he walked out he felt a hand against his back.

"You ready Tyler?" He looked over and saw Melissa smiling at him. He still had emotional scars from the trauma she inflicted back when she was his drill instructor but now she was back to being to the older sister.

"Yeah, but I want to be on the front lines. " He groaned and let his arms fall to his side. "Back-up duty isn't what I was really hoping for. You get all the fun." Melissa laughed and messed up his hair. Tyler scuffed and tried to repair the damage.

"You will get your chance. Just consider this a field test." Melissa patted him on the back and began to walk off. He then felt someone tackle him. He began to wonder if anyone just ever said hi or this world made it a custom to always make physical contact to greet someone.

"Me and you are getting to have our own little party while Sousuke and Melissa play hero." Kurz replied in his usual carefree tone. Tyler threw him off and spun around.

"Whatever, I want to be on the frontlines. At least you will get to fire your gun." Tyler continued complaining. He was grateful they trusted him enough to come along but it never set well when he was benched or told just to watch. He always had the urge to go head first into trouble.

"Well, this should make you feel better." Kurz pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Tyler. Tyler unfolded the crumpled paper and saw one of the Arm Slaves in the hangar printed on the cover. Falke was written above it. It was just like the other Arm Slaves except the shoulders were more rounded and it had a completely black paint job. "That bad boy is what you are getting to pilot." Kurz patted him on the back and Tyler smiled at how awesome his Arm Slave was. "So wanna join Melissa and me for a beer?" Tyler quickly forced himself out of his euphoric day dreaming over his Arm Slave and remembered he had other engagements.

"Sorry but Tessa already suckered me into eating with her, Sousuke and Kaname." Tyler was mildly disappointed he would miss his chance to participate in some underage drinking but he didn't mind spend time with Tessa and even Kaname seemed to be enjoyable company. Kurz waved and walked off to participate in some drunken shenanigans with his wife. Tyler sighed and began to walk to the mess hall until he felt an arm wrapped around his. He began to blush uncontrollably.

"Hey T…t…Tessa" Tyler stammered as he looked down to see Tessa had wrapped her arms around his. After the initial shock of it, he finally calmed down and relaxed as the warmth brushed against his body.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" She asked the same question but Tyler had no combat and only had been in one fight with a friend. He wondered if killing people would be something he could do or if he could find a way around it. He wasn't really sure but for her he needed to be. She let go and looked to hi for an answer

"Sure. Sit back, look pretty and save the day." Tyler jested. He laughed nervously. He prayed she didn't realize he was actually quaking in his shoes as the realization of him being in a live firefight scared him to no end. He would have actual bullets actually flying by his actual Arm Slave, fired by people actually trying to kill him and he may actually have to kill them if he wished to live.

They finally entered the mess hall, Tyler looked over and saw Kaname waving over and Sousuke looked over at Tyler and Tessa and nodded. Tyler had finally started getting used to Sousuke's weird attitude. He could now tolerate Sousuke but due to an incident of him blowing up Tyler's locker due to someone else opening it to give him a note, Tyler still felt annoyed in his presence. Kaname sat proudly in a plain t-shirt and jeans while Sousuke sat dully in his sage-green uniform. Tyler had taken up the habit of just leaving the jacket out and wearing a black tank top. Some of Tyler's superior's didn't like that but he couldn't really care less if he wanted too unless Melissa ordered him otherwise and then he had a reason to care.

Tessa and Tyler took their seats. Tyler sat across from Sousuke and Tessa sat across from Kaname. Tyler looked around at the dull mess hall. Not many where here this late to eat but a few mechanics he recognized from the hangar. The cold metal tables and walls made the whole space feel cold except where he was sitting. It seemed these three people were giving off the only warmth. He turned back towards the two girls as they chatted on about something. He didn't really care what they were talking about but these little moments started meaning more to him. He could easily remember when he trusted none of these people and wished for none of them to get to know him too well. He still had his apprehension but little by little he was slowly letting himself be more vulnerable with these strange people. He slowly began to drown him min in the ocean of these thoughts until a voice pulled him back out.

"Tyler…" The voice sighed. Tyler continued to stare off into space. He was physically there but his mind had long since wandered off into unknown areas. "Tyler, wake up" Tyler felt a loud smack against the top of his head. While it didn't cause any permanent damage, he could still feel his head pulse in pain from the fan slapping against his head. Tyler looked over to a giggling Tessa, Kaname red in the face and Sousuke sighing in relief.

"What was that for?" Tyler barked. He wished Kaname would find better ways to get his attention. He knew Sousuke needed a well-placed slap to the head but he felt a tap on the shoulder would have sufficed.

"Me and Tessa were talking about what you did before you came here." Kaname began to blush as she realized the subject matter. Tyler knew the following question. He could already feel the stinging sensation yet he felt he could stand to tell where he came from.

"Well not like there is much to tell." Tyler propped his feet on the table. "I was born in Connecticut and studied psychology in New York." Tyler was relieved how this was coming out without incident.

"What about your family?" Tessa asked. He looked into her eyes and he was once again suckered into revealing more about him. At the rate he was going, his entire biography would be written at this rate and all he would need is someone jotting it down for the world to read.

"It was just my dad, my older brother and me for a while. I never met my mother." Tyler never realized how strange that sounded. He knew most kids enjoyed having a mom but it never seemed weird to be without one. He had always figured that it was just another aspect of his life he had to deal with. Tessa lowered her head, slightly ashamed she may have brought up bad memories but what surprised Tyler the most is how Sousuke instantly looked up at him after Tyler mentioned his mother's status or lack of in his life.

"If you don't mind," Kaname hesitated as she began to tiptoe onto what she felt was dangerous questions but her curiosity out-weighed it and she could always apologize. "What are your dad and brother like?" Tyler felt a sever sting towards the end of that last part of that question.

"My dad is just a grumpy old man but he was never unfair. He wasn't around much but he tried his best and my brother…" Tyler hesitated. No matter who would ever inquire about his brother, Tyler felt he could never even utter his name. A sick taste entered his mouth as old memories began to form a bitter taste in his mouth and a bitter feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I will just say out of all the people I will miss, he isn't one of them." Tyler scowled. Kaname backed off and Tessa saw the Tyler that had first arrived showed back up. The distrust and detached look in his eyes seemed to cast daggers at whoever was in the direction he had turned his heads toward. Yet there was a subtle hint of pain hidden behind the mask of disgust.

"What did your brother do?" Tessa picked up the conversation and ended the silence that slowly starting to develop. Tyler wanted to answer but not even his father could even get him to talk about what happened. Tyler would only identify that disgusting human being as his brother in title only but as far as he was concerned that low-life was not his family after all he had done. He felt bad but that tale weaved in pain would go with him to the grave as far as he was concerned.

"I am sorry but that is between me and that asshole." Tyler growled. Even Sousuke was startled by this change. Tessa had to do something to pull Tyler out of anger's grip. Kaname could only sit and stare as she never felt such hatred ooze from someone like that. The aura itself emitting from Tyler felt like it was trying to suffocate the air around him. This only made Kaname more curious what exactly happened between Tyler and his brother to make Tyler so hostile at the mere mentioning of his elder sibling.

"So…" Kaname began as she attempted to break the other awkward silence that had formed. "What did you do for fun back in your reality?" Tyler felt relief as someone finally changed the subject. He began to remember the college parties he went too and the crazy adventures his friends had.

"I used to always attend a concert during the breaks with my friends back at college." Tyler smiled and warmed up again. Tessa smiled slightly as she saw him returning. "I loved the rock concerts. Especially when we got on the floor, we went nuts and jumped and pumped our fists until we could barely move afterwards." Tyler smiled as he remembered the tale.

"There are some decent bands back in Japan. Maybe we could attend a concert when we get shore leave." Tessa offered. She quickly pulled back as she felt her offer may have been to bold. She looked over and saw Tyler's face light up in joy.

"I would love that." Tessa began to grin and even Kaname let out a smile as Tyler finally showed genuine enthusiasm. "I haven't listened to a good rock song in weeks now."

"As your reward for a successful mission…" Tessa began. "We will go see a rock concert." Tyler smiled even wider. He couldn't believe it. He missed his old reality but this one was getting better by the second. He felt a sinking feeling he would never return but a part of him was happy he would spend the rest of his life in this one. He jumped up in excitement.

"I better get to my room and get some sleep." Tyler smiled. The rest looked at their watches and realized how long their conversation had lasted.

"It will be a pleasure to serve with you tomorrow, Sergeant Roberts." Sousuke walked up and saluted him. Tyler was a bit thrown off by this. Tyler just smiled and saluted back. Sousuke, kissed Kaname on the cheek and walked off. Tyler wondered if he would ever figure that man out.

"Same here, Sergeant Sousuke." They both released their salutes. Sousuke, kissed Kaname on the cheek and walked off. Tyler wondered if he would ever figure that man out. Kaname walked up and gave him a hug. Kaname was turning out to be like the annoying little sister but she was still remotely loveable.

"Good luck, Tyler." She pulled away. He could tell she was a bit worried about him. Tyler just smiled to reassure her.

"Thanks." Kaname walked off and Tessa walked up and wrapped her arms around his. He felt her warmth rush up against his own and he began to blush once more. He quickly coughed to regain composure.

"Shall I walk you to your room, madam captain?" Tyler forced a posh, military tone and Tessa laughed at it. Her laugh, like her, was bubbly and warm. She nodded and they began their walk to her quarters. They enjoyed the silence of the submarine as their walk took them down several corridors. In this Tyler felt he would never be able to get this smile removed from his face. Everything was taking a turn for the better. He would survive his first mission and enjoy a rock concert with some friends like he did back in his reality.

As they reached the door Tessa turned to him and said "Be careful tomorrow. Whoever we are dealing with is dangerous." Tessa sounded more like a mother watching as her child went out to his first day of school. "Just follow Melissa's orders and try not to do anything heroic, okay?" Tessa worded that part weird. This went from mother telling her child what to do to someone worried that the person in front of them may not return.

"I won't make any promises on not doing something heroic but I'll be back." Tyler decided to make a joke to lighten the mood. "I may get some cool battle scars like Sousuke." He saw Tessa's face scrunched up in annoyance at his lame joke.

"Not funny." Tessa replied to his failed attempt at humor. She placed a hand on his chest. Her eyes began to glint in the light. "Just come back okay. That is an order!" She tried putting her captain face on but Tyler found that, like everything else she did, adorable.

"I can manage that." He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "Wait for me to get back and I will have a surprise for you." He pulled back to see her blush. She began to mutter and stumble about her words.

"I…ummm…I need to go to bed." She quickly turned and smacked straight into the door before it slid open. She would have fallen backwards if Tyler had not caught her. Ever since he came about, he was always there catching her and stopping her from hurting herself. She was slowly being spoiled by the idea she would no longer have to fall on the cold submarine floor. Tyler laughed as she jumped up to regain her composure.

"I am more worried what you are going to do without me here to catch you and protect you from your own clumsiness." Tyler joked. Tessa blushed but smiled lightly at his joke. "Goodnight Tessa." Tyler turned and waved back at her. Tessa waved, careful not to accidentally throw herself off balance, since he was no longer in range to save her. She smiled when he drew out of sight and pranced into her quarters, almost tripping over the table in the middle of the room.


	6. Chapter 6: Into to the Blaze of Battle

Tyler set quietly in his cockpit of his Arm Slave. He checked and rechecked his radar and sensors to keep himself entertained and not focus too much on where he was. He had his arm slave kneeling behind a hollowed out building, with windows replaced by wooden boards. This scene continued on throughout empty guts and skeleton of Pripyat. Tyler could feel his skin crawl as stray thoughts would begin to wonder towards had happened there. He focused on the hum of his Arm Slave's equipment and sensors as to not let himself listen to ghostly sounds of silence that the dead city offered like a melancholy orchestra. The whole area seemed to be unwelcoming. The building seemed like several stories tall monsters that glared at him and his Arm Slave as if he was an unwelcomed guest and in a sense he was. Him and his Arm Slave team had been deployed with a Mithril ground unit without the knowledge of any government knowing they were there. He tried to figure out how giant lumbering robots couldn't be picked up by satellites or sensors but all he had to do was remember where he was. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, this area was a dead urban area filled with nothing but debris, abandoned buildings, and memories best left forgotten.

Tyler's radio crackled to life. He hit the button to allow the voice to come through. He sat and waited a bit as the soft crackling of the other end dragged on with no sign of a human voice interrupting it. Ever since Urzu team arrived, their radios had been buggy and after several frequency readjustments, they finally found a frequency that would work with the interference.

"Urzu 6 to Urzu 8, I got the rest of Urzu team and the ground forces in my sights. How are things in the standby position?" The male voice chimed over the radio. Tyler felt the sudden urge to throw out a smart aleck reply of how exciting it was in his position but he decided against it since this was his first mission and his nerves also held back any quick and tacky replies.

"Nothing to report except it seems this whole city doesn't want us here." Tyler responded back. "Plus, we are screwed if they have anyone hiding in these buildings. I don't want to even think about maneuvering amongst the crap." Every moment he sat there doing nothing, he felt the buildings moved closer to him and sucked out what little air the cockpit offered. He had to deepen his breathing to compensate.

"Oh come on Roberts." Sargent Weber replied back mockingly. "You're just nervous. This is a cake walk compared to what the rest of us have faced before. You will get used to it after a bullet or two." Kurz began to laugh at his little joke but Tyler failed to find the humor in the situation. Every time someone mention bullets flying his was, he could almost feel another sight lined up right at his head. He had trained for this but one week had not prepared him for a live firefight and he felt nothing would until actual bullets came out of an actual gun.

"Shut it, Urzu 6." Tyler sighed in relief as Melissa came over the radio. "I thought I ordered radio silence until we have located exchange." The tone Melissa took was different from the one back on the submarine. She stopped being a big sister and had turned into a commanding officer. Tyler followed suit to avoid embarrassment but Kurz, being her husband, almost made this a contest to see if he could get away with pushing Melissa's patience.

"Yes, ma'am." Kurz decided to play it smart and just sit quietly like a good sniper. Tyler was relieved. He finally relaxed in his cockpit as the boredom began to outweigh the nervousness. He continued to run tests on his equipment and make adjustments to recoil compensation and balance. He had gotten so engrossed by the computers calculations that the outside world ceased to be until the sound of a chopper flew over him. He waited for his radio to click on but it never did. The sound of the rotors faded as the chopper continued on. He looked down at his radar. The chopper was flying straight towards the area Mithril thought the exchange would take place. Tyler quickly turned back his radio to see if any transmission would come through. He slowly stood his Arm Slave up in preparation. He had gathered his assistance would not be needed. He jumped as the radio buzzed to life.

"This is Urzu 7, ground forces have come into visual range of the exchange." Tyler heard Sousuke say over the radio. Tyler's hair stood up. He could almost hear the ensuing firefight. He raised his gun to have it less than a second away from firing position. It was all he could really do as Sousuke continued to talk. "Urzu 6, can you confirm how many they have."

"I see three Arm Slaves, about forty heavily armed combatants and two men in business suits. One has a brief case and the other a large black case. I assume that is the nuke. I can't see anyone hiding in the buildings." Kurz said as he analyzed the number of enemy forces. "I don't see anything to identify the group but the Arm Slaves seem to be Savages. Nothing you and Urzu 2 can't handle, over."

"Alright, Urzu 7, you and I will engage the Arm Slaves while the ground forces stop the exchange. Urzu 6, you will provide sniper support and over watch. Urzu 8, you will remain on standby." Melissa ordered. Tyler couldn't believe his ears. There were three of those Arm Slaves out there and he would just sit idly by. His patience was starting to wear thin.

"Surely I can move up and help. If there isn't that many, I will only put the odds in our favor." Tyler suggested as politely as he could. His tone was harsh but he had held it back as best he could.

"No." Melissa shot directly at Tyler's pride. "We have more experience than you and you will just make this fight more clustered. Stay back and wait for further orders. Understood?" Tyler wanted to say no but this was his first mission and the last thing he wanted to do was be the one that ended it in failure. He had to keep his calm.

"Yes, ma'am." Tyler growled. He threw himself back in his cockpit in frustration. He wanted to be in the middle of it. The urge to defy Melissa torn at him until his restrain was in shreds and barely holding back the drive to disobey. Yet, he took a deep breath and just sat quietly.

"The ground forces are in position and prepared to engage…wait…" Tyler sat straight back up as soon as Melissa sent that over the radio. Tyler could feel the time come to an unbearable crawl as he waited to hear her voice. A second became an eternity as the radio buzzed as the line remained open but no response could be heard. "Shit! They had reinforcements hiding in the buildings and Arm Slaves crouched behind them. Our forces are already engaged." Tyler could hear the sounds of booming gun fire a short distance away. He could almost feel the reverberation of some of the larger rounds in his chest. "Urzu 6, engage them now. Urzu 8, cover him." Tyler responded in agreement and sent his Arm Slave into a full sprint towards Kurz. He ducked and weaved between the buildings, taking cover every once in a while as the sounds of gunfire got louder. He could feel his heart race and violently pound against his chest. The feeling was terrifying euphoria all at once. He senses grew sharp as razor blades as each detail went unmissed. Tyler finally reached the sniping perch Kurz had taken behind a building. He was firing seemingly nonstop. Tyler went to the other side and took cover, his assault rifle raised and prepared to unload on the unlucky soul that decided to come his direction.

A resounding explosion rocked the area. Tyler ducked inside his cockpit. He thanked every deity at once when he realized it was far away enough that he didn't feel the shockwave but his mind fell into panic. His heart stopped realizing the sound came from where Melissa and Sousuke were.

"Son of a bitch, they got rockets coming from the buildings. This is Amalgam all over again." Melissa swore angrily over the radio. "We're pinned down. Urzu 6, focus on the windows. Get those damn rockets before they blow us or the ground force up. Urzu 7, take out those two Savages going for the ground forces. I will handle the two at our three o'clock" Melissa was screaming over the radio as another explosion could be heard throughout the area.

"Urzu 6, how many are they up against?" Tyler said into the radio. He wasn't sure why he was asking that question but he had an idea what he was going to do depending on the answer. Just by the sound outside the cockpit, Tyler could tell things were not going as smoothly as everyone thought.

"I can see them engaging four right now but I am detecting about three more Arm Slaves hiding between the buildings." Kurz replied between each shot he fired. "The buildings are blocking my shots at them and these old buildings are protecting the anti-armor personnel." The inner fighter had woken up in Tyler. His friends were in grave danger.

"How much longer till the ground forces finish up?" Sousuke roared over the gunfire and rockets. "I can't use my lambda with all these buildings in the way." Tyler wanted to ask what Sousuke was talking about but now wasn't the time to get an education on future weapon technology.

"They are trying but the rockets and extra Arm Slaves are slowing them down. Give them five more minutes to get secure the nukes." Melissa roared back. Tyler couldn't sit by idly and just waiting for his position to be overran. He wanted and he needed to take the fight to them.

"Let me join, Urzu 2. You and the ground forces need help." Tyler pleaded over the radio. He didn't know if Melissa would let be he prayed the situation would require his assistance. He was getting sick of sitting by as he continued to be of no use.

"No! Protect Urzu 7." Melissa fired back. Tyler couldn't believe that even now he wasn't considered capable enough to help. As Hell began to rain down on his comrades, he just sat comfortably behind an old building. He could hear the rockets continue to explode with no end in sight and the continued gun fire burst and echo about the city. He was in a true battle between two forces with no sign of either yielding. His role in all of this was just for him to sit there and do nothing.

"I can't accept that!" Tyler roared back. He could hear the silence over the radio with the excepting of the gun fire and rockets. They were either too busy to answer or were stunned by this outburst. Tyler had played the good little soldier boy but now he wanted to show he had fangs and could tear it up with the best of them. He needed to prove he deserved to be on this team and not just as an overpaid paperweight that just sat back and watched everyone else bleed.

"Silence, Sargent Roberts. You will only get in the way." Melissa fired back. Tyler felt his pride shattered. The one person he had come to trust as a sister and comrade had just told him he was of no use. He thought this would destroy him and put him back in his place but instead a churning storm began to brew in him. Anger and revolution began to brew within the depths of his mind until it could barely be contained. Another explosion roared out just as his anger had hit a peak. Tyler looked up at his screen. The artificial intelligence identified the rocket had hit Urzu 2. Tyler quickly turned to his radio.

"Melissa…" Tyler could only hear the silence. "Answer me!" Tyler heard a crackle on the radio but no reply. His heart stopped. He wouldn't accept it. She had to be alive. Tyler prayed desperately to hear Melissa curse him out.

"I'm fine but my hydraulics took a hit. I am going to try to pull out." Tyler sighed in relief as Melissa finally replied. "Urzu, 7 help the ground team withdraw with the nuke. Urzu 6, cover Urzu 7 and Urzu 8 remain on standby. That is an order Tyler." Tyler smiled and laughed over the radio. An awkward silence followed.

"Like the Hell I am!" Tyler roared as he threw his Arm Slave into a mad sprint. He had only a few meters to cover before he was in the heart of the fight. It would only take a minute for him to finally be in the thick of the fight. "I'm going in to help cover Urzu team and the ground force withdraw."

"Tyler! Follow orders!" Melissa roared over the radio. She growled afterwards as she tried to get Tyler to follow in line. She had figured his good behavior up to this point was just an act to try not to disappoint anyone but what he was doing now was reckless and he was risking his life pointlessly. She would never forgive herself if he got hurt. She only knew one person that would get him in line. "Kurz, get ahold of Captain Tessa now and tell her Tyler is trying to be a hero." Kurz just complied. He almost wanted to start taking bets on who would win the war of stubbornness between the new guy and Melissa and for once, his money was against Melissa.

Tyler dodged and weaved and he could start to feel the shockwaves from the rocket explosions. He unlocked the safety and prepared to march head first. His life held little meaning in this reality. If he sacrificed for someone, then in a very admittedly sick way, he would have one. His only regret as he dashed towards the fight was that he would never see Tessa smile again or have Melissa mess up his hair.

"Tyler, stop now!" Tyler froze. That voice coming over his radio could only belong to one person. Its usual warmth was replaced by pure harsh and unbridled authority. "As your captain, I order you to stand down. Let Urzu 2 and 7 handle this." Tyler growled and tight clinched the controls and he could feel his face strain from the rage. The voice returned to the usual sincerity and concern it showed him many times before. "Please, just stand down." Tyler's grip relaxed and he lowered his gun. He could follow orders and return to his position like the good soldier he wanted to be. Unfortunately, it just wasn't him to play the good soldier.

"Sorry Tessa, but screw that." Tyler roared back. He raised his gun once more. "I am not sitting on the sidelines and letting other people die when I can do something. Court martial me when I get back." Tyler turned off the radio and continued charging forward undaunted. For once in his life, he had a purpose before him and a clear goal. It was a far cry from becoming a therapist but what he was doing mattered. Lives were resting upon his shoulders, even if they didn't want to be.

Tyler could tell the instant he was on the battlefield. The shockwave from the rockets threatened to throw him over and he could hear the small arms fire bounce off his Arm Slave like bugs hitting a windshield. He pulled out his gun and looked for his first enemy.

An enemy Savage was trying to cross the battelfied and get into cover to fire upon Tyler's allies. Tyler made sure the only thing the enemy crossed was his sights. Tyler had his Arm Slave pull the trigger and a short burst of rounds went flying. The metal bugs flew through the air with a sickening buzz and sheared the metal and made gaping holes in the enemy Arm Slave. Tyler realized what he had done. He had killed man. The Arm Slave exploded leaving no time for anything to escape. Tyler felt a pang of guilt shoot into his stomach but he had no time to worry. It was his allies or them and he would burn the world down if he had too at this point.

Tyler moved past two more city blocks until he came upon the main battle. He saw Sousuke and his Arm Slave covering Melissa's limping machine and the ground troops. They were moving slowly and the rockets were coming closer and closer. Tyler charged towards the building that had just fired a rocket just less than a second go and unloaded on the floor that the rocket came from. He saw a massive gush of blood spew from behind the window. Another man had died. Tyler moved in front of the slow moving group. Tyler opened a private link with Sousuke. He never thought he would ever do such a thing.

"You know you are disobeying orders." Sousuke replied with no emtion as if this situation happened all the time with him. Tyler didn't have time to sit there and gawk at how calm the human machine was at this time.

"Focus on getting Melissa and the ground forces out of here and back to the submarine." Tyler sighed knowing what he was about say was usual the final words of man about to throw away his life. "I will get these guys attention." Tyler listened as he continued to fire on Arm Slaves that tried to pop out from behind the buildings and even destroying one's head. He then saw a heat signature in a building and opened fire on the location and saw another explosion of blood.

"Not a problem." Tyler sighed in relief as Sousuke continued to help the wounded group move along. Tyler moved forward and could feel more rockets fly his direction. From what he was told, he only had one Arm Slave left but the rockets continued to come from everywhere. He ducked and weaved drawing their fire onto him. Tyler looked at his sensors. A heat signature was just a block down and it had to be an Arm Slave. Tyler spun his Arm Slave around the corner and dashed as rockets blew up all around him. Each one threatened to send his machine to ground or to Hell. He ignored them and charged the position of the final Arm Slave. He rounded the corner and came to face to face with the final Arm Slave.

This Savage was different from the others. It had thicker platting and was equipped with a rocket launcher. Tyler barely ducked out of the way as a missile flew by his Arm Slave's head and destroyed the building behind him. Tyler unloaded his weapon but the bullets did nothing except agitate the pilot. Another rocket forced Tyler to duck behind the building barely avoiding death once again. He armed his machine with the anti-dagger. He peaked around the corner to see the Savage moving closer. He slowly counted to the tempo of Savage as it approached. If he did it too soon, he would be a greasy smear on the ground. If he came out too late, the Savage would see it coming and step away and bring the building down on his. He just needed one moment to put this blade in the face of the other machine. Tyler began to wait with each resounding footstep and he began to pray a rocket didn't lock onto him before then. The machine made one step and Tyler sprung his trap.

The dagger made a clean stab straight through the head. Tyler roared victoriously as his foe fell to the ground. Tyler spun around but could begin to hear more rockets launch towards him. He lunged for the enemy Savages weapon. He barely grabbed it as a rocket blew up the spot he was just in less a moment ago. He spun around to where he thought the rocket came from and fired. The building collapsed from the explosion. Tyler slowly moved his machine out into the open to see if it was safe.

He turned on his radio to earn his rightful lecture filled with foul language from Melissa. "Urzu 8 here, have you guys made it?" Tyler waited for a reply. It didn't take long for Melissa to hear his voice and every foul word she knew fought to be first in line to describe the stupidity Tyler had just displayed.

"Of course we made it you jackass!" Melissa screamed over the radio. Tyler could tell she was not thrilled with his display. "I ordered you to stay back and follow orders but you decided to show you had shit for brains and played hero. I am going to cut your balls off…" Melissa stopped as a loud explosion came over the radio. Melissa's voice grew in panic. "Tyler, what was that?" No answer followed. "Tyler, answer me." Only another explosion followed alongside an excruciating yell. "Tyler!" Melissa roared.

"Damn, a rocket took out my leg and another asshole decided to take my leg with it." Tyler groaned. His cockpit started to flash red as his Arm Slave began to fail piece by piece. His head spun from the shockwave and he could barely tell if he was on his back or face up.

"Tyler, eject and get out of there." Melissa screamed. Tyler wondered if that was possible. It wouldn't work if his machine was on its stomach and he hadn't gained enough awareness to tell if he was. He could also start to feel another rocket with his name being prepared.

"Tyler, just do it!" Tyler's eyes flew open as Tessa's voice cried over the radio. "I will not forgive if you die out there. Now get out and make your way towards the rest of Urzu team." Tyler couldn't believe Tessa was still on the line. He slowly begins to understand his situation. Somewhere a man was preparing a rocket that would serve as the final nail in his coffin. He had found a way through this life just to have it taken away. The only silver lining to the situation was that he would die for his friends. He had sacrificed himself like a real soldier. He didn't care about the orders he disobeyed. People and comrades he cared for would get to go home at the end of the day thanks to him and he was grateful. He closed his eyes and prepared to wish those he had grown fond of a farewell.

"Sorry but…hey…I…" The radio cut off into a hiss as a final explosion thundered out into the city. Everyone remained silent except a single voice screaming into the radio. Every bowed their heads as the continued their way back to the evacuation point. Kurz and Sousuke saluted towards the direction of their fallen comrade and Melissa could only take her frustration out on the cockpit that had failed to save the closes thing she had to a brother.

"Tyler!" Tessa screamed. She repeated herself until she went horse and the tears began to roll. Mardukas walked up behind her. He looked down as she huddled in her chair saying his name over and over again. The rest of the crew members on the bridge bowed their heads as a fellow brother-in-arms had been taken from them. "Please…don't go." Tessa whispered over the radio. The room and it seemed the world fell silent in respect except a single buzzing noise from a radio that had just started transmitting.

"Hey, guys…" the familiar voice began. It was panting and gun fire could be heard in the background noise. "I am really sorry to cut this whole mourning thing short but I am getting my ass shot off here and I have nothing but a pistol." Every one's eyes opened up as the voice of Sargent Tyler Roberts came over the radio. "Seriously, a rescue team would help." Tess jolted up. Melissa began to laugh in relief, Kurz snickered quietly and Sousuke quietly nodded.

All of Urzu team, except Tyler, and the staff on the command deck awaited news on Tyler's rescue. He had to stop his communication to avoid the enemy finding him. The rescue team stopped reporting in to also avoid detection. The only thing the rest of Urzu team and Tessa could do was sit and wait and pray. Each one quietly paced about the command center except Sousuke who blindly believed that Tyler would return due to the shear fact he had survived an explosion and the odds were now in his favor and Kurz was recovering from being slapped by Melissa for making a tactless joke about Tyler's odds. The room grew tenser by the second. Each tick of the clock tried the patience of those there.

A red light began to blink on the control panel of the communications officer. He turned about and said "It is the rescue team, madam Captain. Shall I put it on the main speaker?" Tessa nodded eagerly and jumped up in excitement.

"This is the rescue team, we got someone who wants to speak with you." The radio was passed around as a loud shuffling noise came over the line. It stopped and the air in the room followed and everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

"Sorry about that, guys." Tyler's voice sent cheers about the room. Tessa sighed deeply in relief. "I'll be back in a few minutes and I got a few scratches but nothing worth worrying about and hey Madam Captain…" The room fell silent and all eyes fell on Tessa, she began to blush. "I was thinking we could discuss my punishment over some lunch, if you're up for it." Tessa could only smile at the thought of them eating lunch alone.

"Of course, you are paying. That is an order."


	7. Chapter 7: A World Without Borders

"This is bull shit and you know it!" Tyler growled. His snarl echoed about the chamber of the submarine. A few crew members passing by looked at him. He returned their gaze with a soul devouring glare and quickly turned back towards Melissa whose expression showed exasperation. Tyler was now facing an on-ship hearing to decide his punishment in two hours. "I just got back on the ship like five minutes ago!" Tyler raised his voice. He had barely gotten back aboard when a secretary for the captain handed him his summons and charges. "At least give me time to lick my wounds a bit before putting salt in them."  
"Calm down, you jackass!" Melissa hissed. Tyler was gaining an audience with each decibel his voice achieved. Melissa pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Tyler' actions on his first mission were heroic and defiant. She was proud he took action but she was furious he had acted disrespectfully during the whole endeavor. Melissa gouged her finger into Tyler's chest to emphasize the point she was about to make. "You are the one that decided to play hero and defy orders." Tyler didn't seem to be even phased.  
"If I hadn't, you would have been red chunky bits mixed with hydraulic fluid…" Tyler continued snarling. "and the ground team would have been a Goddamn blood smear on an urban street." Tyler was befuddled by this whole thing. He had saved the mission and he lived. As far as he was concerned there was no problem. Melissa wanted to take that attitude and shove it far enough up his behind that he got the chance to taste it. She respected his loyalty to allies but what he did was dangerous and a blatant disregard for command. "I don't see a problem here."  
"The problem is, you told the captain too" She air quoted her next set of words "screw her orders" Tyler felt a bit guilty but that was his honest thoughts at the time. He just shrugged at her words. Melissa was getting annoyed at how little Tyler cared for the situation at hand. "You openly defied my orders and got your AS blown up." Even as she uttered those words, it still seemed he could care less. She admired him for his adherence to his beliefs but stubbornness like that got people killed.  
"I did what I thought was right." Tyler only seemed to be strengthened in his resolve in what he did. "I still think what I did was right and if they feel need to punish me over it then you know what?" Tyler threw out bait for Melissa take.  
"What?" She bit not expecting the fury that would follow.  
"Then fuck it!" Tyler threw his hands up. Melissa was taken back as the words flew out of Tyler's mouth and some crew members stopped and looked at Tyler once more. Another death glare, made them move on. "Let them punish me." Something welled up in Tyler but he wasn't certain at what was now driving his words. "I have so little to lose; even death at this point doesn't scare me." Melissa's eyes grew wide. "That's right." Tyler lunged at Melissa's confusion. "It already feels like I am locked up on death row. " Tyler took advantage of the shock in Melissa to walk pass her. She could only stand, quietly as she saw the rage Tyler had the first day come back. It wasn't as strong and was under better control but the harsh taste of bitterness still wafted about. Melissa hoped becoming an AS pilot would give Tyler a new perspective but it seemed to only raise the old emotions.

Tyler kept walking as the chains of guilt tugged at him to turn around and apologize but he decided it was in his best interest to get his story straight before going to the hearing. He looked down at his watch. He had an hour and a half to prepare himself for his hearing. He looked back towards the long submarine corridor. It reminded him the road he was on. Everyone around him encouraged those first steps forward but it would take more get out of the abyss he found himself. He still missed his family and that was all he could think of on the way back. He wondered what they would think if they found out about what was happening now. He wondered what they were doing right now. He quickly reminded himself to just think of them as dead. He might as well be to them. He continued down the hallway until a tall, lanky, shaggy brown haired, man started to walk down the corridor. The last thing Tyler wanted was a chastising from G.I. douchebag.

"Hello, Tyler." Sousuke walked by and that was it. Tyler was expecting an early court martial from Sergeant Jar head but he just walked on by. He just couldn't figure him out. He continued walking until he reached his room. He plopped on his cramped bed in the cramped metal space. He started to fade out into his own little world. He was physically in the space but mentally he wondered if he had made his existence worth something. All he managed to do in his mind was blowing up some robots and kill people he had never met. He sat up slowly and walked over to a small night stand. He pulled out the drawer and pulled out his cell phone. He was promised that once he got shore leave they would fix it to where it would work again but part of him didn't want them too. He wanted to preserve what little evidence he had of being someone. He wanted that fleeting memory to be sustained as long as possible but every day it grew harder. Even faking a smile wasn't worth at this point.

"Sergeant Roberts." Tyler looked up as the captain's secretary stood in the door saluting. Tyler let out a small laugh. The secretary was taken back a bit but fell at ease. Tyler knew his words before he spoke them. He knew before even the breath was drawn that he was going to get a decent lecture. "You are being summoned to the command room to review your actions."

"The command room!?" Tyler sarcastically acted surprise. "Aren't we pulling out all the stops." Tyler stood up and followed the secretary. As he passed each crew member, they just glared at him. He felt like the kid taking the walk of shame as he went to the principal's office. He was expecting them to make noises at him and throw pencils but none came.

After a short walk, they finally came to the entrance to the command room. The secretary opened the door. Tyler thanked him but his words were cold and detached. He thought he would be nervous but he felt indifferent. He didn't care. He felt like a man who had nothing to lose at this point.

As he walked in, he saw Melissa, Tessa and Mardukas standing side by side as they talked amongst themselves. Tyler stood at a relatively good distance and waited for them to get done talking. He started to play each question they would ask in his mind but his lack of care for the situation made that session short and he just looked on and wondered what brilliant punishment they would give him. He always wondered what it would be like to be a torpedo.

"Sergeant Roberts," Mardukas started. "During yesterday's operation you actively endangered your comrades and defied orders." Tyler felt a dagger rip into his stomach. The fact the commander said he endangered his comrades as he was actively saving them added more fire the insult. "What do you say?"

"Do you want my honest answer?" Tessa only looked on, she twirled her hair, masking any expression or emotion she was currently feeling. Melissa cringed knowing full well Mardukas would take the bait Tyler put out there.

"Please, be honest." Melissa sighed under her breath, knowing full well that was not the smartest move.

"How dare you say I endangered my comrades!" Tyler yelled. Everyone ,except Melissa, jumped at the sudden roar. "Everything was going to hell, and you know that!" Tyler pointed right at Mardukas. He didn't flinch as the sudden insubordination continued. "My actions saved…" Mardukas raised his hand. Tyler was just waiting for a reason to rip into him.

"You feel that your actions…" Mardukas stopped as another voice roared over his.

"I know my actions saved that mission and those involved." Tyler unloaded. Tessa tried to hide her face as she expected an ensuing argument between the two. Melissa just put her face in her hand. She really couldn't believe how far Tyler was willing to go. "Melissa would have gotten a rocket to the face and the ground forces would have been nothing but a mix bag of body parts on the street."

"You assume that Sergeant but you had no clear indication that it would happen that way." Mardukas continued. Tyler had to restrain himself from swiftly teaching him the meaning of the word "know". "Melissa, would like to say something to Roberts." Tyler looked over to Melissa. His eyes daring her in a rage to say something.

"You defied my orders Tyler." Melissa started.  
"Your orders would have gotten you killed." Tyler fired back.  
"Don't interrupt a superior." Mardukas yelled. Tyler just scoffed and let Melissa continue.  
"You don't know that." Melissa continued back to chastising him. "Sure, in the end you distracted the enemy but what if that caused reinforcements to come?" Tyler just sat there quietly as Melissa got the silent answer she expected. "You need to have faith in command. You can't just pull shit out of your ass and pray it works. It isn't how things are done here." Melissa sounded more like an older sister scolding her younger brother. Tyler felt a bit guilty and admitted this was the first he felt such but he was adamant what he did was right. "Tessa, you speak to him. I don't think he will listen to anyone else." Tessa sighed as she stood up. Tyler wanted to tell Melissa she was dead wrong if she thought having Tessa talk him down would work.

"Tyler, we are a team. We are a family." Tessa started. Tyler hated that last word. Any family he had might as well be dead. Those in front of him and around him were just strangers nice enough to give him a job. "When one member doesn't have trust in us, then we all suffer." Tyler rolled his eyes at the attempt for him to feel bad for what he did. Tessa saw she had no impact. "Have faith in us." Tyler just scratched his head and figured to save time he would just save everyone time and just act like he was sorry until Mardukas spoke and the pilot light of Hell flared back up.

"Yes, I do not know how they do things in your crazy world, but…" Mardukas had hit the final nerve. Mardukas could have insulted him, he could have insulted his way of thinking but to call his world crazy was too much. A line had been crossed and a nerve had just frayed and Tyler wanted the whole world to know.

"Do not speak a world of where I come from!" Tyler ordered back. Even Mardukas reeled back in shock. "It is your crazy ass backwards world that dragged me here." Melissa sighed as Mardukas had found another button to set Tyler off. Tessa could only look on in sadness as Tyler said more truth than he even really knew. "It was up to you guys to stop that device from causing any harm but look!" Tyler gestured towards himself. "You failed when it came to me. I have no family. I have no one I can really trust." Melissa wanted to walk up and slap him back to his world. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She hoped it was just the rage. "With all that, you still have the gall to throw me under the bus for not being a team player."

"As further notice, you are suspended for insubordination. Get out of my command room, Roberts! You are lucky we do not court martial you." Mardukas yelled. It didn't have the desired effect. If anything it in sighted more rage.

"Go ahead!" Tyler roared back.

"Tyler, stop." Tessa shrieked.

"Sorry Tessa," For a moment there was a sudden glimpse of remorse but his rage returned and aimed right at Mardukas. "You have taken everything else away from me. Let's toss in my remaining freedom and hang me too." Tyler threw his hands up as he walked out. "It is not like I got much left." Tyler shouted at full volume. He spun on his heel charged out of the room.

"Tyler…" Tessa began but Melissa stopped her by gently putting a hand in her path. She could only look up as a tear fell down her cheek.

"We need to let him calm down." Melissa whispered. "He is still adjusting to this and he just needed to vent." Melissa saw it wasn't helping. "If you noticed he didn't aim a single thing at you or me." Melissa turned on Mardukas. "It is thanks to Commander 'Stick Up Ass' it got this far." People that tried hiding their faces during the confrontation giggled under their breath. Even Tessa lightened up at the name.

"How is it my fault? He was being disrespectful." Mardukas barked.

Melissa gave him a death glare that caused a cold shiver to run down his spine. "You called where he came from crazy, you accused him of endangering everyone when he actually saved people and you seems you forget he was a civilian a little over a week ago."

"Madam Captain, are you going to allow…" Mardukas started but a finger jumped in his face. A very angry silver haired girl with a viscous glare was on the other end of it.

"Silence Commander. Thanks to you, a valuable member of this crew thinks we do not care for the sacrifices he is making. Unlike us, him being here has taken away his whole existence. I will honor your suspension of him but only to let him calm down." Tessa turned to Melissa and whispered in her ear. "Please check on him and tell him we are giving him time to calm down…" she paused "and please watch over him for me."

Tyler grumbled at his mirror in his cramped space. He just wanted to punch. He had done more for these people than should sanely be allowed. Yet their gratitude was lacking and it infuriated him. It was another sign these people weren't his friends or family. They just saw him as a tool that could be disposed of with no regard. They took away his existence and they wanted to show they could take everything else without a second thought. He was just one knock on death's door away from being a memory no one would remember. He would soon be an afterthought.

Yet as he swirled these thoughts about in his head, he started to question them. Was he truly alone? His family was gone and his old friends might as well be dead. Not once did he ask if he had a chance of returning because he already knew the answer. The machine that brought him here was destroyed and his old life with it. He in a sense was alone. In a sense he was a lowly boat in a storm with no map. Yet amidst this storm of chaos and lost self-identity, Tyler felt something pushing him away from the ledge. It was warm and hidden in the back of his mind.

He looked under his bed looking for salvation. He saw his savior in the form of beer. He grabbed one, returned upright on his bed and drank down the liquid sermon and Tyler' could feel his soul being soothed slowly but surely. He knew this was temporary at best but the little tin preacher would at least make the next five minutes bearable. He chugged the last few swigs and decided to go for a walk. He threw away the can and with a stretch, he walked.

His walk down the hallway was like being the kid coming from the principal's office. Everyone that caught his eyes whispered to the person next to him if they didn't scowl at him. He just rolled his eyes apathetically. He normally would have been put on edge for getting those looks but he was seeing little point. He turned the corner and walked into the subs mess hall. He grabbed a bottle of water and a small bag of chips. He sat down at a seat with a few crew at it. The moment he sat down, they got up and took a table a few feet away.

"It's not like I gave my life to save you assholes." He mumbled to himself. He continued to drink and eat his chips until he heard footsteps. He grumbled and swore. He had done incredibly well to not punch a crewmate on the way into the mess hall. The only reason the crew had to even talk to him was either scold or nag him. He felt the need to worn the person. "If you want to give me your two cents, I can kindly show you where to put it." He heard a familiar voice clear their throats.

"Someone is in a foul mood." Melissa retorted. Tyler grunted. He thought he should apologize but he left that back in his room.

"Do you need me?" Tyler asked rhetorically. "Unless you want to scold me further about being a team player. " Melissa groaned as Tyler's sense of humor seemed to have died a tragic death.  
"I just came to tell you that you will be suspended for two weeks from operations for insubordination." Tyler just continued to look down at his food and push it around for amusement that just didn't seem to come. She was expecting him to throw a rampaging fit but it seemed Tyler was defeated. "This isn't to punish you."

"Coming from the person who just suspended me for two weeks..." Tyler grumbled. Melissa still couldn't figure Tyler out. He should have been defiant to the very end but before sat a defeated dog. She began to wonder how much longer Tyler's mental state could hold up.

"Tessa and I agree you need to cool off." Melissa sat down in front of him. She wasn't a commanding officer. Tyler looked up and saw his sister in arms smiling warmly with the promise of better days but better days aren't coming anytime soon if they do at all. He felt the little tin preacher was ready to give another sermon but Melissa wouldn't approve of the new habit was starting to pick up. "Just take it easy." Tyler responded by standing, scoffed and walked off. He had only entered the tunnel and Melissa decided it maybe a tunnel only Tyler could walk through.

Tyler reached his room and found another can of beer under his bed. He pulled it out and looked at it as the aluminum just shined in the light of his quarters. He barely saw his pathetic reflection in the metal. His eyes had grown bags that held the frustration and anger back and a few round of tears. His hair was a brown bush tussled by a storm. He was a fine mess. He thought he had a grip on this situation but his eyes alone told a different story. He thought his life was taking a better direction but the silence of the room reminded him he was alone. No matter how hard those around him tried, his troubled soul pushed them away and the walls only got thicker and soon the distance would grow. He just wanted someone to acknowledge he was someone. He just wanted someone to tell him he had meaning. He just wanted someone to tell him was cared for.

The frustration built inside him. The depression pressed at the weakened walls of his restraint. Insanity combated with his sanity. He looked back at the can as he returned to the miserable world around him. Before he really realized it, he reared the can back. All his anguish wiped it back. All his sadness propelled it forward. The can exploded against the wall as Tyler fell to the floor. Unlike before, he was the only one to witness it. He curled up on the floor as he embraced himself for that was all he had left.

In the command center, the awkward tension of previous events was finally fading. Sousuke, Kurz and Melissa stood before Mardukas and Tessa. They tried to ignore a missing presence. For Sousuke and Kurz, it was easy as Tyler had only served on one mission and Mardukas was happy to not see the insubordinate runt be put in his place for a bit. Melissa realized it was for the best and Tessa was still questioning the choice.

"Our intel office just sent us a message about the group responsible for the nuke incident." Mardukas turned towards the main screen in the sub's command center. "This group goes by the name 'World without Borders' ". No one really reacted to the name. Everyone in that room had heard scarier. "They are a group that wishes to put a stop to all wars."

"Not the usual terrorist MO…" Kurz commented.

"True but the way they go about this causes more harm than good. They arm and supply militia groups to fight against major war instigators. They are also comprised of former military personnel that went AWOL or thought missing. Through these means they hope to end all wars and create a world based upon a goal that gave inspiration to their name."

"A world without borders…It sounds rather naïve." Sousuke commented. Everyone had the same sentiment about the group. They sounded like idealistic terrorists but something seemed off.

"At first glance it does but they have already stopped several wars in the Middle East and certain parts of Asia." Mardukas continued. The crew seemed shocked. "This group, while having admirable goals, is only adding fuel to international tensions."

"Who leads this group?" Melissa asked. Surely an organization that can persuade military to defect had to have a strong head.

"All we know is the leader goes by the alias of 'Garm' and his second-in-command is only known as the 'Solo-wing Angel'. That is all we know about them." Mardukas answered.

"Through spy satelites we do know however that they have a major base of operations in Siberia." Tessa continued. " This is where you come in Urzu team. You will engage enemy AS and provide support to ground forces as they raid the base. We would use an infiltration team but this base is heavily fortified. You launch in two days." Tessa looked over as the crew nodded in acknowledgement. "Dismissed." As the crew walked out Mardukas turned towards Tessa with a dire look on his face.

"I know Commander." Tessa answered the question before it left his lips. "Command isn't telling us everything. It seems a bit much for us to be sent after such a group."

"Then why didn't you object?"

"If command is sending us after them, then it means this is a threat to the entire international community. We have no choice."

"If you say so, Captain. Do you think we should let Sousuke have the new AS just in case." Mardukas replied. Tessa sighed.

"Unfortunately Cerberus hasn't been full tested with its new lambda drive. In due time maybe but right now, it is too much of a risk. Even Kaname and I do not know the full extent of its potential. We don't even know the whispered that designed it." The mysterious new AS in the hanger was known under the codename of Cerberus and only Tessa and Mardukas had seen majestically fearsome machine under the black tarp. From what Research and Development had told her, she prayed something of that power would never have to be used.

**So yeah, this has been FOREVER since I last updated. Well here ya go. Thanks for the reviews and follows and what not. So Tyler went through another breakdown and we may not get to see him for another 2 chapters. I want to give focus to the original characters and give them some limelight. Also you sort have been introduced to the inspiration of the title and I have reference in here if anyone can figure out. **


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